Muggleborn Otter and Blood Traitor Terrier
by Deluxe Sugar Quills
Summary: A series of Ron&Hermione one-shots based on a series of prompts. For Kyota's ATLB Challenge. NOW COMPLETE.
1. Gnomes

**A/N: Welcome to Muggleborn Otter and Blood Traitor Terrier. This is a (very long) series of one-shots that all ship Ron and Hermione. Each one-shot is based on a prompt, which is the title of each chapter. For more information, see the link for the Aboard the Love Boat Challenge on my profile. (Oh, and if you get what the title means, then I'll give you a gold star.)  
Disclaimer: No matter how much Polyjuice Potion I use, I am not JKR. So thus, not mine.**

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Gnomes

They sat around the kitchen table at the Burrow, quietly finishing up breakfast. It had been two weeks since the final battle ended, and the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione, had been cleaning up Hogwarts endlessly.

They were also in mourning for Fred, Tonks and Remus. George walked around aimlessly for hours on end, looking like a ghost. They all wore a single article of black clothing, for all black would have been murderous in the heat.

Mrs. Weasley looked around at everyone sitting at the table.

"Alright, you lot. You can't be sitting here doing nothing all day," she started. "The house needs a bit of cleaning up, and as far as I can see, no one seems to be particularly busy." She paused for a moment, trying to glare at the people around her. Instead, she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Arthur – can you and George un-charm the ghoul in the attic? He's certainly getting to me." Mr. Weasley and George looked at each other, then wordlessly got up and left. "Ron – "

"I'll de-gnome the garden, Mum," Ron spoke up. Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"Hermione –"

"I'll help him. I've never been de-gnoming before, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied, interested. Harry, who was taking a sip of his tea when she said that, started choking. Ginny hit him on the back once to clear his throat, while Hermione glared at him.

"All right, my dear then," Mrs. Weasley continued after a moment. Hermione and Ron got up and headed out the back door.

"I was being serious," Hermione muttered as she stepped outside. The air was warm and a small breeze wafted through the garden. Ron stopped at a bush and started to search for a gnome.

"How do you de-gnome anyway?" Hermione asked Ron. Ron picked up an angry little gnome.

"Like this, 'Mione," he replied. He started swinging him around and then suddenly let him go. The gnome went flying over a tree.

"I'm a bit out of practice, really. I could do much better than that," he said. Hermione picked up a gnome herself and tried it. She swung it around slowly, but as it dug its nails into her, she jerked it off and it too went flying over the tree. Ron looked, pleased.

"Nice one, Hermione," he said. Soon the air was thick with flying gnomes. A few minutes later, she turned to Ron, an evil grin on her face.

"Watch this one," she said. He stopped for a moment. She flung the gnome past the tree once more, then immediately turned around kissed Ron on the mouth. He was so surprised he fell down abruptly. Hermione giggled.

"That's two gnomes in one, I'd say," she said. Ron blushed and stood up.

"Oy, you two!" they heard Ginny call from her window. "Don't you have some de-gnoming to do?" Ron grinned.

"We are!" he called back, and began kissing Hermione back.


	2. Lace

**Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.

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Lace

The couple stood in the robe shop. It was a little unknown shop that specialized in wedding robes. The witch rummaged through the racks while her fiancée watched on.

"Hermione… do we have to do this now?" he complained. She glanced at him, then raised her eyebrows.

"I thought you me wanted to go shopping for your best-man robes. I mean, Harry _offered_ to go with you, but –" Hermione broke off.

"They're not getting married for another month," he stated. A saleswitch chose that moment to come scurrying over.

"Do you need any help?" she asked. She paused, and after getting a nod from Hermione, she continued. "We got a very lovely set of men's dress robes in today," she said, picking up one at random.

Ron glanced at the robes, then stopped.

"No," he said, "there is _no_ way I'm wearing that." Hermione picked up the robes. They were the twin of Ron's Yule Ball dress robes – maroon in color and completely covered in lace.

Hermione burst into giggles. The saleswoman looked confused, not aware of the inside joke. She continued on.

"These robes are vintage – right from the eighties. They were very popular back then. We also have them in blue, green and purple." Hermione started laughing harder. Ron glared at her.

"No, um, do you have anything else? Preferably _without_ lace?"

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**A/N: Thank you for all of the lovely reviews. Now I cannot say I will update as often as I just did, but I will try to get at least 2 or 3 a week. ) This one wasn't so romantic, and not all of them will be. Don't worry, some will. )**

**Point of clarification: Harry and Ginny's wedding is several months **_**before**_** Ron and Hermione's. In case anyone was confused.**


	3. Pink

**A/N: Sorry for the transition between the updates, folks, but midterms have descended upon me. Now this following little bit takes place after Ron runs out on Harry and Hermione in DH. Enjoy, and please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it from the books, it's not mine.

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Pink

She stumbled back into the tent, nearly blinded by her tears. Harry stood near by, unsure of how to comfort her. She crawled into her bed and wept there. Harry took this as a sign to go away, and went to bed himself.

She fell into a panic-y sleep, and woke up a few hours later. Her face was red and blotchy, but there was nothing she could do about. She took a few breaths to steady the flow of tears that threatened to emerge. Instead, she grabbed her beaded bag and started to dig around.

Her fingers pushed past books, spare clothes, the portrait, and other random items. Sometimes she didn't know why she had packed so much stuff. Then, her fingers grabbed a piece of paper, which she withdrew from the bag.

To Harry, Ron or anyone else who might have grabbed it, it was simply an old shopping list. But with a revealing charm, it transformed into a large, crude, pink valentine.

She had received it in her 6th year, for Valentine's Day. There was no signed name, but she had always had a hunch as to who sent it. Who else has a sister who owned a bottle of glittery red ink?

As she opened the card, she noticed the moving drawing of a bowing house-elf that was drawn on the front. Every other time she saw it she would giggle, but now all she managed a weak smile.

Her eyes scanned the few words written inside. Tears burned behind her eyes and slowly began to slip out and blur her vision.

"Oh, Ron," she murmured to herself. With a large gasp of breath, she began to cry again, the pink valentine comforting her no more. It fell from her grasp and landed on the floor, it message open to anyone who could have been in the tent.

_Hermione, _

_I love you. Everything about you._

_And I will always love you._

_No matter what._

_Love,_


	4. Parasol

**A/N: Just little drabble more than an actual one-shot, but cute nevertheless. Harry's not in this one… just pretend he stayed back at Hogwarts or something. Yeah. R&R please!**

**Disclaimer: No is mine.

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Parasol

The young couple walked down the streets of Australia. They had just been off to return the memories of Hermione's parents, but as that was not going very well they decided to escape the house for a minute.

The streets were sunny as the two strolled down a street parallel to a beach. Vendors lined it, selling everything from food to the latest fashions. With their Muggle clothing, Ron and Hermione fit right into the scene.

That is, if Ron wasn't completely confused by every Muggle object he saw.

"That's an… airbird, right?" Ron asked, pointing up into the sky. Hermione shook her head and giggled.

"It's an air_plane_, silly. Muggles use it to get from place to place." Ron nodded. They walked a bit farther in silence when Ron started up again.

"And that's a… bisickle?" he asked. Hermione smiled softly.

"Close, Ronald. It's a bicycle. Like a broom, but it can't go everywhere and you have to make it move on your own," Hermione explained. There was silence again, and then Hermione noticed something.

"Oh, a parasol! I've never had one," she said to Ron. Ron blinked vaguely at her.

"A what?"

"Parasol, silly. It's a type of umbrella that shields you from the sun."

"Why would you need something to shield you from the sun?"

"It's for decoration mostly, but also to not get a sunburn." Hermione dragged Ron over to the vendor's stand and picked out a blue parasol. Twirling it around, she turned to Ron and asked, "What do you think?"

Ron laughed and said in a fancied-up voice, "You look lovely, my darling." Twirling the parasol some more, Hermione paid for it with a bit of Muggle money from the bottom of her beaded bag.

"Come on, Ron, I think my parents may have calmed down a bit." And with that the couple strode down the sunny streets once more.


	5. Clouds

**A/N: I like this one. I think it's funny. ;D Although the people talking are Harry and Ginny, the main people are still Ron and Hermione. Just a bit more indirectly. R&R, please!**

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I didn't even have a British accent. Thus, I am not JKR.

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Clouds

Harry and Ginny were lying in the garden of the Burrow, staring up at the sky. Pointing at them, they named their shapes.

"Butterfly."

"Snitch."

"Gnome."

"Dog."

Harry propped himself up on his elbows and turned to face Ginny.

"Ginny, don't you think we ought to be getting back now? The clouds are turning gray and there's a storm off in the distance," he said. Ginny smiled, but shook her head.

"They get really cool when they're gray. They're like the evil twins of the normal clouds," she said, her brown eyes twinkling. She shoved Harry slightly, and he fell with a small "Oof!"

"Mmm… that one looks like a cauldron."

"Broomstick, over there."

"Ron and Hermione, snogging on a broom." Ginny giggled.

"What? Where?" Harry searched throughout the sky, but didn't see a single cloud resembling the pair.

"They've disappeared. Wait no… they're _right_ next to that cloud." Away in the distance, Harry could see a small speck. Ginny was right… a single broomstick, carrying the love struck pair was visible off in the distance.

The gray clouds loomed closer and closer to where the two flew. Harry and Ginny, abandoning their game, watched the events interestingly.

"Do you think we should tell them?"

Ginny giggled. "No."

Lighting could suddenly be seen in the distance, and Harry hand brushed over his scar involuntarily. A large clap of thunder followed.

"Watch them!" The pair had suddenly jerked up at the thunder's sound and were quickly sailing towards the ground as the rain started. Harry and Ginny stood up and ran for shelter under the nearest tree.

The speck came closer and closer, until the two on the ground could clearly make out the two in the air. The rain was falling heavily and they were coming closer and closer every second. Twenty feet. Then ten. Five. One.

A sudden clash of thunder startled the two and Hermione fell off the broom with a shriek, landing in the mud. Ron laughed and landed next to her, pulling her up and embracing her with a kiss.

They drew away quickly, however, startled by the sudden explosion of laughter coming from Harry and Ginny.


	6. Masochist or Masochism or Masochistic

**A/N: Just a note, in case you're confused: The next chapter can be found taking place on pg. 478 of HBP, US Edition. Thank you for all of your lovely reviews and please, don't stop reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I own not the plot (well a bit), nor the characters nor the first line. **

Masochist / Masochism / Masochistic

_Def; getting pleasure from other people's pain_

"What were you doing up there with _her_?"

Ron spluttered something incoherent and looked around sheepishly. Harry was now leaving the common room in his invisibility clock. Hermione muttered something about a book and left for the girls' dormitory.

"Well?" asked Lavender, glaring at Ron angrily. His ears were slowly turning red.

"Nothing – we were just talking to Harry," he replied.

"Harry? Is he in there now?"

"No, he left a few minutes ago."

"How? I've been watching and no Harry Potter has left that dormitory in the last fifteen minutes!"

"Well you haven't seen him because –" he broke off, suddenly noticing that Hermione had returned and simultaneously remembering that no one knew about Harry's invisibility cloak. But what was he to do then? He couldn't tell Lavender about the clock. He mumbled something incoherently again and Lavender glared at him.

"Ronald Weasley! You are a horrible boyfriend!" she shouted, causing those nearest to the two to look up. Ron's ears were now beet-like in color and the color was slowly spreading to his whole face, like an irrational disease.

"Geez, you sound just like my mum," he muttered under his breath. Thankfully, she didn't catch it.

"You never do anything with me and you're always with _her_ and –" she gave a choking sob. The whole common room was staring at the couple, eerily quiet. Lavender was starting to cry and Ron's face was the same color as his hair.

"You're horrible Ron – and we're through!" With a cry she ran up the stairs sobbing, Partivi close behind her. The common room continued to stare at Ron, who wanted to melt and looked so red he was about to.

He glanced over at Hermione, who was smirking broadly. The smirk said it all.

_Hah, Ronald, you should have done it yourself when you could have. I love watching you being embarrassed by her, and you _totally_ deserved it._


	7. Stars

**A/N: Okay, so I've gotten a bit off in the super-romantic chapters… but I promise, they're coming soon. This one's a bit dark, but it has a lot of tension between the couple. Thank you, my lovely reviewers, and don't stop doing what you're doing!**

**Disclaimer: If I were Jo, I wouldn't be writing on a fanfiction site, I'd be writing more books. **

Stars

She looked over the silent maze, where a burst of light would shine here and there from time to time. She leaned against Ron in the cold night, searching for something, _anything_, that would tell them about Harry.

The silence was stifled by whispered conversations, people being obviously bored that nothing had happened yet. Fleur sat huddled in the font, her face still slightly red from crying. Krum sat a distance away from her, also in the font, glaring at Moody and Karkaroff every once in a while, as if he knew something no one else did.

"Where is he? There's no sign of them anywhere – not even the sound of them casting a spell. Nothing," she whispered.

"He'll be all right, Hermione," Ron whispered in her ear. She nodded, looking out onto the field once more. 

"Look, Ron," she said. He glanced up sharply. She shook her head to indicate it wasn't about Harry. They were both worried, yes, and the look on Dumbledore's face was terrifying. But something else had caught her notice.

"Look at the stars, Ron. They're so bright tonight… more than usual." He nodded, tearing his gaze away from the field.

"They look nearly green, some of them," he replied softly. They glanced at each other, their eyes meeting.

"You don't think…?"

"It can't be, Ron. He's disappeared, Harry destroyed him…" Ron's handed shifted towards Hermione for a moment, but then drew away. Their gaze never dropped, and it was so intense that it could out-stare a snake. 

"Look, Hermione…" Ron began, but didn't get any further than that.

There was a loud thud before them, and Harry and Cedric appeared out of nowhere in the corner of their vision. Someone began to scream.

"Harry," they said in unison, and started to rush down with the crowd to the see what was going on.


	8. Fire

**A/N: Okay, so this is more of a drabble than a one-shot, but it's cute. I personally love it. Sorry for the slow week, but I think I'll put up another one today (a longer one, too) to make up for it. ) This one doesn't have a specific setting, but it's after DH and maybe at their house? Use your imagination to fill in the details. **

**Disclaimer: Totally mine. Yeah. (Not really.) **

Fire

The two sat on the back steps, staring out into the darkness. They sat looking at the nothingness, a tree in a field illuminated by the faint moonlight.

His hand sought hers and he took it in the cooling night. They were big and slightly chilly, but comforting to her. A shiver passed through both of them, and turning toward him she conjured both a small glass jar and, for old time's sake, the bluebell fire she had perfected in first year.

Placing the jar between their feet, she turned toward him. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her softly as a thank you for the warmth. 

She scooted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. His free arm cuddled her to him and they sat like that in the nothingness, illuminated slightly by the bluebell fire, in their own little worlds together.


	9. Butterbeer

**A/N: Two updates in an hour! This one-shot was inspired by the song ****Christmas with the Weasleys**** by The Remus Lupins. It's quite fluffy, but I love it. So go on, enjoy, and review please!**

**Disclaimer: The only time I own Harry Potter is when I'm asleep and dreaming. And if I'm asleep I can't write fanfiction, can I? **

Butterbeer

The window was frosted with snowflakes as Ron and Hermione sat in front of the cozy fire. It was their first Christmas alone, and it was everything Hermione imagined it would be. Ron had given her many additions to her ever-growing library; in return he got very many kisses. And although she wasn't as good as dear Mrs. Weasley, Ron had a new sweater that day. Maroon, of course.

Ron got up for a moment, leaving Hermione wishing for the warmth of his body. The fire was nothing comparing to the warmth she felt when Ron held her, and a fire seemed to rage through her body with every kiss.

Ron returned quickly, and for this she was grateful as she warmed up quite nicely when he put his arm around her and gazed at her with his blue eyes. He handed her an open bottle of butterbeer and took a long drink from his. She took a small sip of hers. 

"Merry Christmas, 'Mione," he said, clinking their bottles together.

As the giddiness of the first sip overtook her she drank more and more of her butterbeer, until she finished it off. She giggled profusely and rested her head on Ron's chest. With a free hand she unconsciously touched the other gift that Ron had given her: a simple silver necklace with a heart charm dangling off it.

As Ron stroked her hair Hermione got the sudden impulse to kiss him once more. Though she usually fought impulses like this, as she had through her many years at Hogwarts, and decided to go through with it. 

Ron was slightly startled at first, but the embrace became much deeper quite quickly. Hermione could smell the butterbeer on his breath, and it calmed her down. She giggled slightly and once again rested her head on his chest. 

Her fairytale had come true. A loving husband and a peaceful first Christmas was her dream since she was a little girl, and it had come true. It even had butterbeer in it.


	10. Sunset

**A/N: This took me a bit of time to write, because I didn't want it to be cheesy. I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. Please, don't stop!**

**Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me, unfortunately.**

Sunset

Ron stood waiting for Hermione at the bottom of the stairs. It was the night of the Ministry's annual ball, and as part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Hermione was obliged to attend.

"Hermione!" he called, "we have to get going! It starts in ten minutes!"

"Just give me one more minute," her voice responded. He tapped his foot impatiently, pausing momentarily to fix his blue dress robes in the hallway mirror. He grimaced briefly, remembering the dreadful maroon robes he had to wear for the Yule Ball, the complete opposite of his current ones.

The sound of feet on the stairs drew Ron's attention. Hermione was wearing a set of brand new dress robes that faded from purple to blue to bright red down, giving her the appearance of a sunset. Ron gaped at her as she smiled. He straightened up, then took her hand and kissed it. She giggled slightly.

"You look beautiful," he said. She kissed him briefly on the cheek and he caught a whiff of her coconut shampoo.

"The kids are at your mum's, right?" she asked, and he nodded. He held out his hand to her and she took it, leading him into the backyard where they would Apparate to the Ministry. They turned on the spot and disappeared, leaving behind the faintest glimmer of a sunset.


	11. Knight

**A/N: This one-shot quotes a bit of PS/SS. See if you can recognize it. ;D Sorry for the bit between the updates, but I need to get my book to write it properly and it took a while for me to have enough time to sit down and do it. **

**Disclaimer: All that you recognize does not belong to me.**

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Knight

"GO!"

Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire. Once she was through she tried to look for Harry, but he had disappeared. She carefully sidestepped the troll and raced back to the chessboard, where Ron was lying unconscious, surrounded by the pieces of the knight he had ridden in the game of chess.

He had a trickle of blood coming from a cut on his hand, which she wiped away with her sleeve. She shook him, trying to wake him.

"Ron! Come on!" she said, over and over again. He stirred, looking up at her and blinking hard.

"What?" he asked, dazed.

"Come on! Harry went for the stone, we have to get Dumbledore!" she exclaimed. Ron slowly got to his feet and they raced to the key room, grabbing the broomsticks and zooming out the trapdoor.

Not caring about Fluffy they ran off the brooms and out the door, running as fast as they could to the entrance hall and owlery. As the two hopped off the last step Dumbledore came around the corner. He saw them and his eyes twinkled.

"Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?" he asked. They nodded, panting to catch their breath. Dumbledore hurried up to the third floor and Hermione straightened up. She straightened her robes and turned to Ron.

"Oh, you've got a bit of knight on you," she grumbled, brushing the stone off of Ron's robes. Ron laughed at the absurdity of the statement and they set off to the common room for a bit of rest.


	12. Untouched

**A/N: Woo, update! I couldn't think of what to write for this one for a bit, but then it came to me! I hope you'll enjoy it. And thank you, everyone, for all the reviews! I was so excited to hit over 100! :D Don't stop reviewing. ;)**

**Disclaimer: If I were JKR, it would have Percy dead instead of Fred.**

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Untouched

Hermione got up from the kitchen table. She muttered something about not feeling very well and went up to bed. Ron started to clear away the table, noting that Hermione's dinner was untouched. While Ron normally would have thought that this was offensive to his cooking, he knew something was up – he had baked one of her favorite foods.

He went up to their bedroom, taking a cup of tea with him. He placed it on the stand next to where Hermione lay, sitting down beside her.

"You said you weren't feeling well, so I brought you a cup of tea," he said. Hermione smiled weakly, then took a small sip. She set it down again, a look of worry on her face. Ron took her small hand in his large one.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked cautiously. It wasn't like her to get sick. In their six years at Hogwarts, and their one year camping, no matter what happened she was always well. And now, suddenly, she was slightly pale and ill looking.

"Should I get you some soup, or something? You look sick," he told her. He could feel her hand tense slightly in his, and he had a feeling that it was something serious. Hermione sat up and turned to him.

"Ron…" she began, then paused. He looked into her eyes, trying to show her that he was ready for anything she had to say. Her gaze met his, and she continued.

"Ron, I have to tell you something." She paused again, as though searching for the right thing to say. She bit her tongue, then carefully took his hand and, still holding it, placed it on her stomach.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out. Ron blinked a few times. Then, as her words finally reached his brain, he hugged her. Hermione let out the breath she was holding and color returned to her face. She looked at Ron.

"So…?" she asked, waiting for his reaction. His face broke into a huge smile.

"This is amazing!" he said. He stood up and raced into the hallway, screaming, "I'M GOING TO BE A DAD! I'M GOING TO BE A DAD!", forgetting that they were the only two people in the house. Hermione stood up and walked to the doorway, watching him be excited. He turned back to her, panting slightly.

"Sorry," he said, "had to let it out." Hermione giggled and he kissed her lightly.

"So, are you hungry?" he asked. "You left your dinner untouched." She shook her head, but held out her empty teacup.

"No… but I'd like more tea," she said with a grin, and the two set off for the kitchen once more.


	13. Blood Pops

**A/N: Woo, another chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

Blood Pops

They were playing a simple game of 3-on-3 Quidditch in the Burrow. Ron, Harry and Ginny were against George, Charlie and Bill. Hermione sat with Mrs. Weasley and Fleur at a table nearby, watching the match out of one eye.

The Quaffle flew between Ginny and Harry (who wasn't a bad Chaser), straight toward Bill, who was manning the goal posts. It soared toward the goal, but George caught it at the last second and headed for Ron's direction.

Hermione's mind wandered from the conversation she was having about household spells – she had a feeling something bad was about to happen. Sure enough, as the Quaffle flew towards the goal post, Ron's head got in the way.

Hermione paled as Ron fell off his broom. She caught him with a spell just before he hit the ground, grabbed her beaded bag and ran towards the pitch. The others were surrounding Ron, hovering slightly above him. His face was all bloody – it looked like he had cut himself when he landed on the ground.

Blood covered the grass as Hermione ran up. She quickly _accio_ed the dittany from her bag and dabbed it on Ron's face. The blood stopped flowing, though it remained on his face.

Ron slowly came to, staring up at the sky groggily.

"Wha-what happened?" he asked, groaning.

"The Quaffle hit you in the face and you fell," Ginny stated simply. Ron sat up, his face pale. Hermione handed him a red lollipop.

"Here, have this," she said. He stuck it in his mouth eagerly, but spat it out nearly right away.

"Hermione," he said angrily, "do you know this is a Blood Pop?" Harry laughed. Hermione looked at him.

"Yes, Ron, I do. Now put it back in your mouth. You lost a lot of blood, and this will help you regain some," she stated. Ron groaned, but complied.

"It's disgusting," he said, his words muffled. Hermione shook her head, but laughed as she walked away.


	14. Socks

**A/N: This one was a bit hard to write, so it might not be the best… tell me what you think! **

**Disclaimer: I'd be working on the encyclopedia, not a fanfiction, if I was JKR.**

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Socks

"Ron?" Mrs. Weasley looked up to where he sat with Hermione on the couch at the Burrow. The two had come over for dinner after being persuaded by Molly to eat a home-cooked meal. She looked deep in thought and was staring at Ron's feet.

"Yeah, Mum?" he asked.

"Whatever happened to those violet socks that I gave for Christmas your fourth year? I never saw them come back to the Burrow that summer…" she trailed off, deep in thought. Ron shrugged.

"Dunno, maybe I forgot them or something. Why?" he replied. His mother shook his head.

"Just wondering. Sorry, dear," she said, walking off into the kitchen. Ron turned a bit pink suddenly.

"Oh yeah…" he muttered to himself. Hermione heard him.

"I'm guessing you know what happened to those socks?" she asked, curious. Ron coughed slightly.

"Well, I remembered I gave them to Dobby," he said. Hermione stared.

"You gave them to _Dobby_?" she said, surprised. Ron nodded.

"Yeah, Harry gave him a pair, but Dobby mismatches him socks, so I gave him those to mix them up," he explained. Hermione cuddled against him.

"You continue to amaze me," she sighed.


	15. Cheese

**A/N: Sorry it's a while between updates. I want to update more, but my life is so hectic that I'm managing all that I can. Wow, I'm already 1/5 of the way done with the challenge… Enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: It's mine, it's all mine! Except anything that you may recognize.**

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Cheese

"Mum! Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!" a voice called from outside. Hermione sighed. Five minutes had not passed since she had sent Hugo and Rose outside. She had hoped that the fresh air would clear their heads after they had argued over who would get to use the self-playing chess set. And yet they must have been at it again.

Hermione walked the few steps to the backyard, glancing at the clock on her way out. It mirrored Mrs. Weasley's clock, though the names that it carried were of her own family. Ron was still at work, but he was due home at any minute now.

Hermione stepped outside to see 7 year-old Rose and 5 year-old Hugo standing by the large oak tree in their backyard. It was normally a good provider of shade this time in the spring, but right now it was oddly limp and a strange yellowish color. Holes dotted the tree's exterior, so much so that she could nearly see through it.

"Mummy, Rose did something funny to the tree!" Hugo exclaimed. Rose glared at Hugo.

"I didn't do it on purpose! Mum, I was just—"

"Yes, you did! First you were yelling at me and then you went to kick the—"

"I didn't do anything like that! Mum, he was making me mad and—"

"Quiet, the two of you," Hermione said over the bickering. They immediately quieted, looking for their mother to solve the problem. It was at that moment that Ron chose to arrive home.

The crack of his arrival drew Rose and Hugo's attention, and they turned away from the tree to run toward him.

"Daddy!"

Ron gave each child a quick hug, then turned to look at Hermione.

"Family party in the backyard?" he asked. Hermione smiled.

"No, apparently Rose turned the old oak tree into cheese," she replied. Ron turned to hug Rose, much to the children's amazement.

"That's wonderful, Rose!" he said. She looked at him quizzically.

"But Dad, I turned the tree into _cheese_," she stated. Ron nodded, and with a flick of his wand turned the tree back to its normal self.

"It seems like your magical abilities have shown themselves, Rosie," he went on. Rose shrieked with excitement. She grabbed the first thing she could reach, which in this case was Hugo, and hugged him.

"Ew, get off me Rose!" he squealed, trying to loosen himself from her grip. She relaxed her hold and he ran away slightly. Hermione looked at them.

"Why don't you go and get a snack from the kitchen? I'll make your favorite dessert tonight to celebrate, Rose," Hermione suggested. Hugo and Rose ran to the kitchen, while Ron stood watching her. She walked towards him, kissing him on the cheek.

"Wrong spell, darling," she said. Ron looked back at the tree, only now noticing the beautiful blossoms it hosted that had not been there ever before.

"Well, the kids will love an apple tree," he mumbled. He kissed her back, on the mouth this time.

"Ew, Mum, Dad, get a room!" Rose squealed from the doorway.


	16. Stairs

**A/N: This one is cute. I like it. :) I might not be writing as often for a bit because I've got a fic planned in my head that's for the 10****th**** anniversary of the Hogwarts Battle (May 1****st****-2****nd****, Jo said so!). But look forward to that too. **

**Disclaimer: If I were Jo, I'd have a **_**huge**_** celebration midnight of May 2****nd****. But I don't think anything's going to happen then.**

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Stairs

"That's so insensitive of you, Ron!" Hermione said hotly as she ran out of the Great Hall. Ron chased after her.

"I didn't know it was yours!" he cried. Hermione turned back to glare at him.

"Sure you didn't. Just like when you didn't know it was _my_ book that you borrowed without permission, then spilled permanent ink on it!" she retorted. Ron's ears flushed pink.

"I didn't know it was yours then either, it was just lying around and I spilled the ink by accident!" Ron said. Hermione snorted, then began to walk up the stairs angrily. Ron tried to follow her, but her glare made him recoil. Oh, why, did he have to spill pepper into the random pumpkin juice standing next to him?

Hermione was in a bad mood, with every little thing setting her off. Exams were approaching and Voldemort did not make anything much better. Harry worried her, though Ginny was helping quite nicely. And Dumbledore was so frail; she didn't know how he'd live much longer, and then what would they do –

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as her foot sunk into the trick step. She missed the step constantly when she wasn't paying attention, and this time was no better. Her foot had only gotten as far in as her ankle, but it wouldn't budge no matter how hard Hermione pulled.

"Would you like some help with that?" Ron asked her, standing a step away. She nodded, her anger forgotten. Ron grabbed her hand and pulled her up hard, bringing her nose-to-nose with him. His hand still grasped hers as they stared at each other for a moment.

Hermione turned bright red, and noticed Ron was no better. They quickly let go of each other's hand as Hermione regained her balance.

"Thanks," she said, smiling softly, and all was forgiven.


	17. Music

**A/N: This one took me a while to think of, and it isn't so much Ron/Hermione as it is… sweet. ;D Don't worry, if you want fluffy, the one after this one is guaranteed to be fluffy. Thank you for all of your reviews, and please don't stop!**

**Disclaimer: If I claimed that this was mine, then I would be sued. I don't want to be sued. **

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Music

"Do you hear that?" Hermione asked. Ron looked up from his Potions essay. The library was quiet, and he looked up at Hermione weirdly.

"Hear what?" he replied. Hermione stopped for a moment, her quill in midair, to make sure she wasn't hearing things. No – there it was again. A drop of ink fell from her quill onto the table.

"I think it's someone singing… it sounds like a girl," she said, trailing off. She began humming the tune while Ron stared at her.

"Hermione? Are you all right?" he asked. Hermione nodded, and then began to quickly clear away her things. Ron muttered a drying charm over his essay and packed up his stuff. He ran after Hermione, who was following the sound of the music.

She raced down a flight of stairs, ending up in front of an empty Charms classroom. Ron appeared next to her, panting slightly.

The sound of someone singing came from the classroom, their voice as crisp and clear as a spring morning. Hermione and Ron looked into the room to find Luna singing out the window, flocked by a bunch of canaries she must have conjured up.

The two stood there, enjoying the music for a little while. Hermione made a move to lean her head on Ron's shoulder, then realized what she was doing and leaned against the door frame instead.

After a moment, they were joined by others who had heard Luna's singing echoing peacefully throughout the castle grounds. Students froze outside, the Ravenclaw Quidditch team hovering in midair, practice forgotten. Luna turned around at the end of her song to see them, her face shining. The canaries flew out the window and Hogwarts went on with its duties, calmed by music.


	18. Rain

**A/N: This one is fluffy, for all you fluff fans. Thank you for all your reviews, and please don't stop!**

**Disclaimer: I don't live in the UK, so that automatically rules me out of being JKR.**

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Rain

Hermione leaned over the sink in the kitchen, staring out the window. The rain outside was coming down hard, each drop pounding against the house like there was no tomorrow. The sky was a maddening gray, a gray you could lose yourself in. Hermione's thoughts wandered aimlessly, her eyes searching for the hint of sunshine.

She shrieked suddenly as a pair of hands grabbed her waist. She turned around as he laid his head on her shoulder, following her gaze to the outside.

"There's too much rain in England," she muttered nonchalantly.

"The rain's not all bad," Ron replied. She looked at him quizzically, and he grabbed her hand. He started to pull her towards the door when she stopped.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked. "It's pouring outside!" Ron merely nodded and smiled, and Hermione gave in and let him take her outside. Her head was immediately pelted with rain; each drop was sharp and pricked slightly when it hit. Hermione smiled. It, in fact, wasn't all that bad. She began to giggle, then laugh loudly as they spun through the rain, little drops flying off them at odd angles.

Suddenly her foot caught on something and in mid-spin she slid abruptly to the ground, taking Ron down with her. They landed in a pile of mud, where it began to cover every bit of their bodies, seeping in through their clothes. Ron tried to get up, but his efforts were futile. Hermione lay still, resting her head on Ron's chest. Ron began to stroke her hair with muddy fingers, and then kissed the top of her head. Hermione laughed as he gagged on the mud that entered his mouth.

Ron hugged Hermione close to him and they lay in the mud for a few minutes, while the rain began to wash it away. They were soon able to stand up and they walked back to the house. Lingering in the doorway, Ron pressed his lips to hers as a little bit of sun began to shine through the clouds.


	19. Vanilla Cake

**A/N: This one is for Anna, who requested a chapter with Crookshanks in it. Enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

**Special Note: I have noticed that there has been an increasing amount of people that added this story to their favorites or alerts, or me to their favorites or alerts, and have not left reviews. While I like the fact that you enjoy my story, it would make me smile so much more if I actually **_**do**_** get a review. I do not mandate that you review every chapter, but as you have to click the button to subscribe anyway, why not use an extra 30 seconds and write a short review – even something like "can't wait for the next one" would be fine. Now, a thank you to those of you who **_**have**_** been reviewing. Thank you! And now, onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: I am not battling RDR publishers at the moment. Thus, I am not JKR.**

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Vanilla Cake

Ron stood in the kitchen, flour dusting his surroundings. There was some on the cake, some on the table, some on the floor, and some in his hair.

He sighed. It was really Ginny he had to thank for this. He had taken the day off for Hermione's birthday, and decided to bake her a cake. It was Ginny who had gotten the recipe for the cake without telling anyone, persuaded Hermione to take a 'girl's day out' with her, and arranged to make sure that nothing would go wrong. This, of course, was never definite, but Ron wanted to take no chances.

He had spent a greater part of the afternoon baking. He wasn't a bad cook, he had found out, and his mother's recipe was easy enough to understand. It said what spells to do at what moments, what should be stirred by hand and what not, and, within a few hours, the cake stood in the kitchen, cooling. (He had previously learned his lesson with the windowsill, and the invasion of casserole loving creatures was not one he wanted to relive.) Unfortunately for him, there was one creature he had forgotten about.

Crookshanks had spent the greater part of the day outside, like he always did, but he had come inside mid-afternoon for a snack. Ron had shooed him away, failing to notice the paw prints in the flour did _not_ leave the kitchen. An hour later he was still settled in his nook as Ron set out the cake to cool. As Ron left the kitchen for a moment to wash up, Crookshanks had smirked as much as a cat could smirk.

He jumped off the cabinet and landed neatly on the table, landing on a bit of flour. The approached the cake cautiously, as if it were some form of toy. A breeze floated through the window and past the cake, dislodging a little bit of frosting and sending it at the cat.

Crookshanks jumped up as the frosting landed on his nose, attacking the cake. He yowled as it splattered, covering the walls in frosting and vanilla cake. Ron came running back into the room at the sound of the yowl, and groaned when he saw what had happen. He grabbed the frosting covered cat and set him outside, and started to survey the mess. He pulled out his wand to try to clean everything up when he was interrupted by a large _crack_ in the backyard. Hermione's and Ginny's laughter could be heard as the pair walked into the house. The girls stopped dead at the mess, from the now white walls to the expanse of flour on the floor, and to the wandering paw prints. Ginny looked at Ron questioningly, and he grimaced. Finally, Hermione spoke.

"What in Merlin's name happened?" she asked. Ron looked at her and grinned sheepishly.

"Well… I made you a cake, but I guess Crookshanks didn't like it very much," he replied. Hermione laughed, then siphoned a bit of cake off the wall with her finger, and stuck it in her mouth.

"Mmm," she said, "vanilla." She walked up to Ron and kissed him on the cheek. "I thank you for the effort," she whispered in his ear. She giggled, and then continued. "By the way, you still have flour in your hair."


	20. Strawberry Flavored Icing

**A/N: Another chapter for you all! Enjoy, and don't forget to review! Review review review! ;P**

**Disclaimer: I do not have a nifty accent, like Jo (or anyone British for that matter) has. Thus, I am ruled out of being JKR.**

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Strawberry-Flavored Icing

Hermione sat in the school kitchens, surrounded by house elves. She was supposed to be working on something for S.P.E.W., but instead found herself simply watching the house elves dance around. She was becoming lost in her thoughts when the door to the kitchens opened.

Ron came striding in, smiling as he was greeted by an elf, who immediately ran off to get him cakes. Ron glanced around and his eyebrows shot up when he saw Hermione.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, strolling over amiably. Hermione looked at the papers before her.

"Oh, just watching the house elves. I wanted to get a better grip on S.P.E.W.," she replied. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you just leave the house elves alone and forget about the _spew_ stuff," he said. He waved his hand around the kitchen. "Can't you see that they're enjoying themselves?" Hermione gazed at Ron.

"Okay," she heard herself saying, and vanished her papers with a flick of her wand. Ron blinked. He hadn't actually expected her to comply, as she was normally very diligent about S.P.E.W.

A tug on Ron's sleeve made him look down. Dobby stood before him carrying a platter of cakes.

"Dobby has your cakes, sir!" he exclaimed, handing him the cakes. Ron took them with a grin, and set one down in front of Hermione.

"Here, have one," he said. Hermione picked it up gingerly and took a bite. It was decorated with strawberry-flavored icing, and Hermione savored it before she went to take another bite. Unfortunately, a house elf was walking by at that moment and accidently knocked into Hermione's elbow, sending the cake smashing against her nose.

"Gretty is _so_ sorry, miss!" the house elf exclaimed. She raced around the kitchen and handed Hermione some napkins. "Here you are, miss! Gretty is so sorry, this will not happen again!" Hermione giggled and waved the house elf off.

"It's okay, it was only an accident," she said. The house elf bowed and hurried away. Ron watched Hermione, amused.

"Here, let me help you get that off," he said. He made to kiss her on the nose, but started to lick the icing off instead.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. He didn't stop, and Hermione started to bat him away with her hands. He was extremely fluffy, and his body seemed to be growing fur at an extremely fast rate. The kitchen walls began to blend together until Hermione had no idea as to what was going on.

She opened her eyes to find Crookshanks laying on her chest, his nose centimeters away from hers. She shrieked, then looked around to make sure she hadn't woken up Parvati and Lavender. She sighed, then shifted to her other side and tried to go back to sleep.


	21. Feast

**A/N: This one is a **_**bit**_** angsty. It takes place the night before Dumbledore's funeral, so that's probably why. Tell me what you think. **

**Disclaimer: And now, a haiku: Jo Rowling owns this / I am merely borrowing / To write my story.**

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Feast

The last feast of the year had always been unusual for Harry – as had many of his school days been. He could still clearly remember the one in his first year, where Dumbledore had awarded Gryffindor enough points of win them the House Cup.

His throat seized up. _Dumbledore_. His eyes glanced involuntarily to the seat the Headmaster had always occupied – it stood empty now, left alone by McGonagall. The funeral was the next day, but he didn't know if he could take it.

Hermione followed his gaze to the chair.

"Harry—" she started, but he put up a hand to quiet her. He didn't think he could talk now.

On Hermione's other side, Ron was doing what he did best – eating. But while normally even he had his limitations, now he couldn't stop. The food nearly flew from the table to his mouth nonstop, and he had eaten more than twice the amount Harry and Hermione had eaten that night.

Hermione rested her hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Ron, you have to stop eating. It's not healthy," she said softly. Ron stopped for a moment, and their eyes met. His eyes were glazed over. He shook his head and slowly returned to devouring the chicken leg that was in his hand.

"Come on, Ron," Hermione said, "you're eating like you're never going to eat here again." Ron choked slightly, and swallowed. On Hermione's other side, Harry got up and quickly exited the Great Hall.

"That's what it's all about, isn't it?" Hermione said softly, as if she was talking to herself. "Are we really coming back? Harry isn't, I can tell. And – and we're following him." She took a deep breath and stood up, her hand lingering on his shoulder. He nodded.

"Yes, Hermione," Ron replied, his voice hard. "That's what it's all about."


	22. Twirl

**A/N: Okay, I'm sorry about the week between updates, but I was on vacation and away from a computer. ;) I did write though, so you'll get this one and another one tomorrow. I will try to get a third one up this week, but I've also got my memorial story to work on, so I don't know what's going to happen. Don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: I have never written any form of book, let alone an extremely popular, world changing series.**

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Twirl

The music escalated to its climax as two people spun around the room to its beat. They neatly avoided the pushed back furniture, lost in their own little world.

The music began to fade away and he twirled her around one last time. She ended up with her head hanging inches above the floor and her hair ribbons, which had loosened during the song, twirled colorfully from her hair to the floor.

The silence seemed to bring them back to reality. Ron pulled Hermione to her feet and gave her a small kiss.

"That was the new composition, Moonlit Duel, by the Dragoneers," the wireless proclaimed from its corner in the room. Hermione picked her hair ribbons up and neatly twirled them into her hair, while Ron moved the furniture back into its proper place. A flick of his wand sent two cups of tea zooming out of the kitchen and onto the small table in front of them.

Hermione flopped down onto the couch behind her with a sigh, snuggling against Ron as he sat down. She ignored her cup of tea and took a sip of Ron's as he went to take a sip. He smiled at her and set down the cup on the table, the spoon twirling around the rim.

He yawned widely, then curled his arm around her shoulder.

"Mmm, love, I have work to finish up," he said, making to get up. Hermione didn't reply, instead choosing to start burying her head into his chest.

"Work later," she mumbled. Ron sighed but smiled, and consented by starting to twirl a bit of her hair around his finger.


	23. Animals

**A/N: Okay, here's the next one! I'll get the next chapter up as fast as I can, but it may be some time. Many apologies.**

**Disclaimer: I am not 42. (Thank God, sorry to JKR and other 42-year-olds.)**

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Animals

"Expecto Patronum," Hermione said, concentrating on the faces of her parents in her head. A puff of silver escaped her wand and she sighed in frustration.

"Expecto Patronum!" she repeated clearly, this time concentrating on the image on Harry and Ron in the common room after they defeated the troll for her in their first year. A furry otter zoomed out of the tip of her wand and started to circle her head. Hermione smiled broadly, happy that she finally got over her trouble with the spell.

"Good Job!" Harry called from the other side of the Room of Requirement. Ron strode over to her, his own terrier Patronus bounding around his feet.

"Nice otter," he remarked casually. "Though I have to wonder why my Patronus is a terrier. I don't think I have many terrier like qualities, personally." He watched for a moment as his Patronus raced around the room.

"I don't know," Hermione replied thoughtfully, "but I do know that dogs are very loyal, so maybe that's why?" Ron snorted.

"Yeah, right. And your Patronus is an otter because _I_ live near the town Ottery St. Catchpole," he retorted. Hermione's face flushed a deep scarlet, but Ron thankfully did not notice. His gaze roomed around the room to the various animals that appeared there, resting for a moment on his own, which sat wagging it's tail at his feet.

"It is kind of cute, though," he said, smiling down at it.

"Yes, you are," Hermione murmured, out of earshot of anyone around her.


	24. Pumpkin Juice

**A/N: A bit of a delay there, but here's the next one! Now, if all you lovely readers could do me a favor and **_**please**_** review the story that I have been working on for a while called "In the Forest, Again". It's the reason for the delay, and I'll give you all lots and lots of virtual cake if you review!**

**Disclaimer: I'm just a Harry Potter fangirl. An obsessive fangirl, but still a fangirl.**

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Pumpkin Juice

Hermione sat down to breakfast beside Ginny, pouring herself a goblet of pumpkin juice. She piled a bit of toast and bacon onto her plate, and then looked up as owls flew in with the morning's mail.

A large owl landed in front of Hermione with a letter attached to its leg. She recognized the owl as Harry's new one, and she took the letter from it curiously. The writing was a certain familiar scrawl, and Hermione smiled as she began to read it.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Working in George's shop is hectic. There are crowds every day, mainly of kids not old enough to go to Hogwarts yet. They get over everything – one of them swallowed a Puking Pastille the other day and, well, let's just say he won't be coming in here for a while._

_So how's Hogwarts without us? Must be quite boring, without Voldemort to set up adventures for you now. Ginny must absolutely love having you in all of her classes, though N.E.W.T. year must be terrible. I've still got my offer for becoming an Auror, and I'll probably take it once George gets some help around here._

_On another note, when's the first Hogsmeade weekend? If you tell me then I could probably convince George to give me a day off. (Tell Ginny that Harry will most likely meet her there that day as well.)_

_Well, I must get back to the shop now._

_Love,_

_Ron_

"Hermione?" Ginny asked. "Um, the owl's kind of…" she trailed off and Hermione shrieked. The owl that had delivered her letter had not flown off like she thought it did, but instead started to drink Hermione's pumpkin juice. Hermione tried to shoo it away, but it glared at her. It started to fly off, but it tried to take the goblet with it. This resulted in having the goblet get a foot off the table, then fall from the owl's claws and land on some fourth-year's head, spilling pumpkin juice everywhere. As Hermione and Ginny tried to clean the mess up, Hermione noticed a post-script on Ron's letter.

_P.S. Pig's off with a business letter somewhere, so I had to borrow Harry's owl. Don't let it near pumpkin juice! We've recently discovered it has a bit of an… obsession with it._


	25. Statue

**A/N: Wow, I'm 1/3 of the way done now. It's so… weird. You may start seeing more updates, though, as I have a personal deadline to meet for this challenge! This next scene takes place on pg. 242 of DH (US edition, sorry), and can be classified as a "missing moment". It ends suddenly because what happens next is in the books, so don't email me about that complaining. ;P  
Also, I would love it if you could take a bit of time and R&R my other story, "In the Forest, Again". A special thank you to everyone who has already done so!**

**Note!** A few chapters back I had a note asking for all my readers to _please _be kind enough and review when you also add me to Story Alert/Favorite Story, etc. There have still been a lot of you who have _not _been doing that, and it is getting extremely annoying. **This is my 2nd warning, and I assume that you know that a 3rd warning is never any good**. It takes less than 30 seconds to write "Good Job", and I assume you can spare the time if you click on the button anyway for Story Alert, etc. Remember, the only payment fanfiction writers get is reviews, and you wouldn't want to leave us review poor, now would you?

**Disclaimer: If I were JKR, I would have to yell at people about reviewing.**

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Statue

Ron climbed out of the fireplace, dusting his robes off. It was uncomfortable, being the short, little, ferrety Reg Cattermole, but he took a deep breath and looked around for Hermione.

It took him a moment to find her, or rather, a moment until she located him. The gleaming statue of black stone that dominated the Atrium had transfixed him. His eyes followed the carvings for a while until it clicked in his head that it wasn't ornately carved throne the witch and wizard were sitting on: it was Muggles and Mudbloods.

A hand grabbed his arm and he found the wispy little witch that was Hermione dragging him behind the statue. He came closer to the carvings until he could see the stupid, ugly, faces of the people pressed together.

He coughed slightly as bile rose up in the back of his throat. He looked at Hermione standing next to him and wanted to press her to himself, wanted to tell her that it was okay, that she would never be one of those bodies, pressed together for the sake of the purebloods…

_But you aren't supposed to know her!_ The sensible voice in his head said, and Ron shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. He looked at Hermione, and in the single moment that she met his gaze he tried to show all those emotions to her, but whether she was too focused on the mission or something else he didn't know, but she didn't seem to understand.

He gazed around the Atrium to see how the others were reacting to the statue, but they just passed by it if it were a stone in the flow of a river. He couldn't see how they weren't affected – it was the people that were always around them that were portrayed on the statue! He saw the tall wizard Harry was standing in the middle, staring at it, just like he had been moments before. He nudged Hermione, then pointed in Harry's direction.

"Psst!" she hissed at him, and Harry walked over to join them.


	26. Exclusive

**A/N: This chapter is a lot more trio-centric than it is Ron/Hermione-centric, but hey, they are part of the trio! It doesn't really have a plot or anything, but I'm taking a risk and trying a different style. Tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the ramblings displayed below.**

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Exclusive

They were the Golden Trio. It was they who rooted out Voldemort from the inside, destroying the Horcruxes one by one, started the DA, found Sirius's innocence first and countless other things. They had woven a friendship so tight that even Ginny, Harry's love, couldn't get through sometimes. Their friendship was exclusive.

There was Harry, The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One. He was the perfect replica of his parents, a selfless person, someone who died for the world and came back to live again. It was he who the prophecy was made about, he who carried out the most dangerous mission of them all, he who possessed the lightning bolt shaped scar.

There was Hermione, the muggleborn, the know-it-all, the only girl. She had saved their skins dozens of times, her forever-expanding knowledge always there to come up with the solution in a time of need. It was she who allowed for the survival of the three on their hunt for the Horcruxes, she who saved Harry from the decrepit house of Bathilda Bagshot, she who was always there to tell them if there was a bit of dirt on their nose.

And then there was Ron, overlooked and overshadowed, the 'sidekick', some would say, the one with power that only those close to him could truly understand. He was a chess champion, sixth of seven children, younger brother to the famous Fred and George. It was he who had the power of true loyalty to his friends and his family, he who knew the most about the wizarding world, he who had such a strong power to love that he destroyed a Horcrux with it. He helped Hermione understand her wrongs, and called her a know-it-all everyday just to show how much he truly loved her. He who finally realized that being famous might not be all it's cracked up to be, and that true victory comes from knowing that you made the world a better place for future generations to come.

Then there were the stragglers. There was Ginny, Harry's love, Ron's sister, and Hermione's closest female friend. She who came _so _close to experiencing their love, nearly breaking their exclusive circle, just to be torn away as they ran from Death Eaters. There was Neville, Harry and Ron's dorm mate, Hermione's friend, who followed their lead and reformed the DA to greater heights. And there was Luna, the odd girl who had her power over all three of them, so mystical that they all nearly believed in Nargles, though some more than others. Yet even these people could not penetrate the exclusive bond.

It was this friendship that the three had that was so exclusive to the rest of the world, this friendship that saved the world, this friendship that taught each other what it meant to have family, be knowledgeable, and to love.


	27. Black Gloves

**A/N: Yay for many updates! It will start becoming more constant (a looming deadline…) but it's fine with me and good for you! This one is a bit… steamy. ;D Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own the floor plan of the house (it's drawn out in my head… really!) That is all.**

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Black Gloves

It happened somewhere between a quick snowball fight and lying in the snow making snow angels, but when it happened it couldn't be stopped. The kiss has prolonged for several minutes and if anyone had been watching they would have seen the couple, attached at the mouth, somehow manage to get inside their house and close (and lock) the door behind them.

It was then that the shedding of clothes began. Shoes came off first, the snow melting through them and leaving puddles on their kitchen floor. Jackets came next, a soft pink one lying on a chair while a black one was hanging off the kitchen sink.

The trail could be followed into the living room, where one would discover two pairs of soaked-through jeans, one lying on the couch, the smaller pair hanging off a lamp.

A slightly wet stain on the stairs would show where Ron had slipped, though still attached to Hermione. Socks came off here, slightly damp, and a pair of men's gloves trailed up the stairs. At the top of the stairs was another large wet stain, this time made by Hermione's hair as Ron had pressed her up against the wall. A daintier pair of black gloves could be found here, as well as an old maroon sweater that had been received at Christmas.

Another pair of socks was found down the hallway, lying near a soft blue sweater. There, farther along the hallway, lay a plain white shirt and a dainty blouse as the last of the layers began to come off. There were still drips of water here and there where snow had melted from hair, but the trail had stopped at a closed bedroom door.


	28. Dress Robes

**A/N: This one is… angsty. But I think it's good. I hope you think so too. :D**

**Disclaimer: If I were JKR, I would not have killed a twin. Because by doing that she kills both of them.**

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Dress Robes

Ron lay on his bed, his face buried into his pillow. He had been like that for the greater part of three days, refusing to do much more than eat. Even when he ate it was never more than a few bites of whatever was on his plate before him. Not like anyone could go hungry in the house right now.

Molly had taken refuge in her kitchen, cooking every dish imaginable, salting them with her tears. Arthur had taken to hiding in his shed when he was not sitting in the boiling kitchen silently, watching his wife. George wandered around aimlessly, pale as a ghost. Percy was calmer, though horribly guilt ridden. If he hadn't made the joke, if only he could save Fred… it was everything the others could do to tell him it wasn't his fault. Charlie had taken residence on the couch, refusing to speak to anyone, not able to look at George. Bill remained strong in front of his family, but one could hear his muffled sobs late at night. Ginny and Harry, both stony faced and silent, had taken residence in a tree in the backyard, saying little to anyone, coming inside merely for sleep. Hermione and Fleur ran around endlessly, helping the Weasleys get through every day.

And there was Ron, who mumbled, if said anything, to everyone but Hermione. He had holed himself up in his room, though he couldn't for much longer. Today was the day of the funeral.

Hermione had just calmed down Percy, leaving him to deal with George as the others somehow managed for themselves. She arrived in Ron's room and stood at the foot of his bed at the moment, surveying the room. She turned to Ron's still form.

"Ron, you have to get up," she said softly. Ron's voice was muffled, but his intention was clear. He didn't move. Hermione tried again.

"Ron," she said, a little more firmly. Ron turned around and leaned up to face her. His face was red, tears burning in his eyes.

"He – he was my b-b-brother, Hermione," Ron stammered. Hermione sighed, and sat down next to him.

"I know, Ron. And you know you'll see him someday. It's not forever," she said softly, her eyes meeting Ron's. He looked away. She muttered a Cooling Charm and his face grew a little less puffy, but he continued to sit on the bed.

Hermione turned to his dresser and began rummaging through it. She pulled out a pair of old dress robes, and turned toward Ron.

"This is all I could find, so you'll have to wear these," she stated firmly. Ron glanced in her direction, and then gasped.

"Those?" he said, and she looked confused. She glanced between the leaf green robes and Ron, trying to draw the connection. Ron muttered something.

"What?"

"They – they gave t-them to me, after f-fourth year," Ron said, slightly louder. Hermione's eyes widened, and her mouth formed a perfect O. She sat down next to him, the robes still in her hand.

"You have to wear them, Ron. It'll be like – like as if you're remembering them by wearing the robes," she said softly. He nodded weakly, then turned to get dressed. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek before starting to go downstairs.

It was worth it, later, when he saw the tears of appreciation mingling with those of sadness in George's eyes at the funeral.


	29. The Weird Sisters

**A/N: Thank everyone for reviewing! :D It makes me very happy to see that I have over 300 now. This next fic is a songfic, and think of it what you will. I may update over the weekend, but I may write some other, separate, songfics that are running through my head.  
Oh, and a gold star to anyone who figures out the actual band who sings this song, as well as the title. **

**Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to JKR, and the lyrics belong to the band who sings the song.**

* * *

The Weird Sisters

They were sitting on the couch in the living room, simply talking, when the song came over the wireless. Ron held his hand out to Hermione, and they got up and swayed into front of the burning fireplace, Hermione resting her head on Ron's shoulder.

_Then we're going looking for trouble  
We're gonna finish this this time around  
We're going looking for trouble  
We're gonna finish this once and for all_

Hermione remembered the last time she had heard this song. _She was swaying, trying to dance with someone, his arms around her waist. Her periwinkle robes rustled as she moved around, her arms around his neck._ The Yule Ball, it was the second slow song of the night, though the first one she had danced to, as she sat out for the previous one. The Weird Sisters had dedicated this song to the Triwizard Champions, but Hermione had thought that it was better dedicated to the person in front of her.

_Though before we had our reasons  
This time is personal  
You can pretend that you don't care  
But you know you cried_

She remembered seeing him out of the corner of her eye. _Krum twirled her around, slowly, and she felt her gaze slide to where he was sitting. His date had run off somewhere, and he was by himself, looking very sad, miserable and bored. She threw a sad little smile in his direction before turning back around, unnoticed by anyone._ Hermione looked up at Ron, leaning her head on his shoulder. He, too, was lost in his own thoughts, and he smiled down at her.

_We're going looking for trouble  
We're gonna finish this once and for all  
We're going looking for trouble  
We gotta finish this this time around_

As the song ended they stood there for a moment, in the middle of their living room. She momentarily saw the sadness in his eyes, and she knew he had been thinking about the same thing she had. She kissed him, softly, and they stood there in the shadow of the burning fire.


	30. Chocolate Frogs

**A/N: Number 30, at your service! Now, a thank you to all of my reviewers, especially my anonymous ones, who I am unable to reply to. Just a note, reviewers, though I do appreciate your helpful ideas, I am writing this story myself, so I want to make this my own as much as possible. Some of them are really good, though, so you should totally write them yourselves! :D **

**Disclaimer: ****Esta historia no es mía.**** (Translation: I don't own this.)**

* * *

Chocolate Frogs

The woman pushed back the door to yet another compartment and smiled as she looked in at the three youngsters who were sitting there.

"Anything off the cart, dears?" she asked. The three paused from their conversation for a moment and looked up. The other two handed some money to the dark haired boy – Harry Potter, she could now see, and he stood up.

"Two Cauldron Cakes," he said, "some Drooble's, and a couple of Chocolate Frogs." He exchanged the money for the food and she slid the door closed as she walked away.

"Pass me a frog," Ron said as Harry handed Hermione her Cauldron Cake. Harry tossed one to Ron, and handed one to Hermione as well, taking a third for himself. Ron quickly unwrapped his and checked the card immediately, gripping the frog in his other hand.

"Aw, Paracelsus again," he moaned, then tucked the card away into his pocket and bit into the frog. Hermione, who had finished her Cauldron Cake, too unwrapped her Chocolate Frog. Her eyes widened as she saw the card, and Harry raised his eyebrows. She quickly flashed the name on the card at him before hiding it in the folds of her shirt, and Harry grinned. Ron, who was wiping the chocolate crumbs off his face with his hand, had seen Harry grin.

"What?" he asked sharply, and Harry turned to him. Harry's face flushed slightly pink, but he met Ron's eyes evenly.

"Oh, nothing," he replied. Ron turned to Hermione, who was nibbling on the still frog, the charm finally worn off.

"What's going on?" he said again, looking curiously at Hermione. She turned away.

"Oh, nothing really. Just wondered if you'd seen the card I got," Hermione replied, holding up the card with a slightly evil grin. Ron gaped at her.

"Is that – but that's – how'd you get –" he sputtered. He stared at the name on the card, _Ptolemy_.

"Can I have it?" Ron asked quickly. "I'll trade you… Paracelsus!" he exclaimed, taking the card from his pocket and handing it to Hermione. Hermione paused, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Well… I don't know," she said slowly. Ron groaned.

"_Please_, Hermione, can I have it? I've needed it for years," he whined. Hermione giggled.

"Hmm, how about a trade?" she asked. Ron's face lit up.

"Yeah, sure, here, take Paracelsus!" he exclaimed. Hermione thought for a moment.

"No, how about something else," she said carefully. Ron looked downcast.

"What do you want? I'll give you anything!" he exclaimed.

"I want you… to knit me a few S.P.E.W. hats over the summer," she said, grinning. Ron gaped at her.

"What?!" he said. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised.

"It's not that hard, I'm sure your mum can teach you," she replied. Ron muttered something, but then nodded slowly. Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance, and the two burst into peals of laughter.

"I was kidding, Ronald!" Hermione said between laughs, as Harry lay rolling on the floor. Ron's face flushed red.

"So can I have it?" he asked again. Hermione sighed, but then giggled.

"Sure," she said, handing it over. "I don't collect them anyway."


	31. Firefly

**A/N: Short bit of fluff here. :D Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: JKR's. Not mine.**

Firefly

"Mummy! F-f-fly!" Rose called, pointing her finger at a firefly. Hermione giggled as she watched the two year old start chasing it. Hermione leaned back in her chair in the garden, her eyes following Rose. She rested one hand on her stomach, soaking in the scene in the twilight.

Rose spun around, giggling, before toppling to the ground. Hermione gasped slightly and started to get up, but got nowhere before Ron came rushing out from behind her, picking Rose up. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he looked at her.

"I think it's time for someone to go to bed," he said softly. Rose looked at him.

"No!" she proclaimed, and yawned. Hermione giggled as Ron started walking to the door. He muttered something to Rose, and winked at Hermione before walking through the door.

Hermione sat in the warm spring evening, sipping her cup of tea as the sky got gradually darker. Her mind was starting to drift when she heard the door open once more and Ron came up behind her.

He came up behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder unexpectedly, and she couldn't help jump a little. She leaned her head back and saw him grinning down at her. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up to her feet and she swayed for a moment as she regained her balance.

"How's Rosie?" Hermione asked.

"Sleeping like a log," he replied. He pulled her into a one-arm hug.

She rested her hand on her overly large stomach and watched a firefly flitting around in the dark garden. He kissed her softly on the cheek.

"I think it's time for someone to go to bed," he whispered in her ear. She giggled and followed him back into the house, his arm still around her shoulder.


	32. Onion Soup

**A/N: This is a... not too fluffy fic. I don't know what to classify it as. ;P I hope you like it! :D Wait, I know! It's a… Hermione working too much moment fic. ;D Yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I am running out of disclaimer ideas. Srsly, I'm not JKR. ;D**

* * *

Onion Soup

Hermione sat at her desk, her bushy hair in a messy ponytail and falling into her eyes. She scribbled something onto a paper in front of her and levitated to a pile of papers on the ground beside her. She sighed heavily and rested her head in her hands for a moment, before going onto the next sheet.

Ron entered the home office behind her, carrying a large steaming bowl of soup. He placed it beside her and watched her for a moment, scribbling away at Merlin-knows-what.

"You're overworking yourself, dear," he said quietly in her ear. She paused for a moment, and sighed.

"I know, but I have to finish these papers by Monday," she replied.

"It's Thursday! You have the weekend to do it!" he exclaimed. She shook her head.

"No, I don't. We have that thing at the ministry on Saturday – remember? And then we're going out with Harry and Ginny on Friday night, and we're at your mum's on Sunday. So I have to do this now," she explained. Ron sighed, and leaned on her desk.

"Well, I brought you some onion soup. You didn't eat much today," he replied. Hermione smiled up at him, her quill in mid-air.

"Thanks, dear," she replied, and took a large spoonful. She swallowed it quickly and let out a gasp.

"It's hot!" she exclaimed. Ron chuckled. She collected herself after a moment of fanning her mouth.

"But it's really good," she said hastily. Ron smiled, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek as he leaned down.

"Finish soon," he said, leaving the room. Hermione sighed again.

"I hope so," she mumbled to herself.


	33. River

**A/N: Fluff! :D Hope you like it. Set sometime after DH, maybe a year or two after.**

**Disclaimer: JKR is rich. Very very rich. I'm broke. See the point here?**

* * *

River

She woke up in a field. She murmured dizzily to herself, sitting up slowly. The sun was shining and the grass beneath her was soft. She looked around the field, smiling as she saw the red haired boy snoring softly beside her. The covering that could be called a tent had been blown away in the night, but it didn't matter.

Hermione opened up the picnic basket that stood nearby and took out a flask of orange juice, taking a drink from it. The sleeping form near her groaned slightly, then sat up as well. He held out his hand silently, and she passed him the flask.

"Thanks, Hermione," Ron replied after a minute. He started to reach for the basket, but she pulled it away.

"Not until you've washed up," she told him. Ron sighed, then went to the nearby river. She followed him, rolling up her sleeves.

"You sound like my mum sometimes, you know?" Ron told her. She sighed at him, but not in a mean way.

Ron leaned down to the river and started to wash his hands. Hermione leaned down next to him, the hem of her skirt floating on the water. She splashed some water on her face, a few droplets getting on Ron.

He turned to her, smiling slyly.

"Oh, so you were trying to get me wet?" he asked curiously. Hermione glanced at him, her eyebrows raised.

"No," she said. She then paused for a moment, and splashed some water at him. He blinked water out of his eyes, and gazed down at his shirt, which was now drenched through.

"Why you…" he said, splashing her back. She shrieked and tried to run towards the shore, but Ron grabbed her. He lifted her over the water, but her legs began to splash around incessantly, spraying them both. He slackened his grip slightly and she leapt out of his arms into the water below.

She then crouched down until only her head and shoulders were above the water, and hugged Ron's legs tightly. He lost his balance and fell into the water, his arms waving around in the air.

His head came up from the water, his hair sticking to his forehead. He proceeded to give Hermione a fierce hug. Hermione hugged him back and pressed her lips to his.

They sat in the river for a while, swaying slightly in the current of the water, their breakfast forgotten.


	34. Drawing

**A/N: More fluff! I decided there needed to be a Hugo moment, since we had a Rose one already. Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: JKR's not writing Harry Potter for a **_**long **_**time. points to fanfiction I am.**

* * *

Drawing

Hermione sat in her office, finishing up her last bit of work. Signing her name at the bottom, she folded up the piece of parchment. She handed it to the family owl, Tofty (she had no idea as to why Ron chose to name the owl this), with instructions to send it to work. As Tofty flew out the open window Hermione leaned back into her chair and let out a relaxed sigh.

She sat for a moment before she heard the pitter-patter of little feet enter the office. She turned around in her chair to see five year old Hugo run to up her with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Mummy, look what I drew for you!" he exclaimed. Hermione smiled, and looked down at the paper. It was a drawing of herself sitting on a chair, Hugo in her lap. Ron and Rose stood next to them.

"Oh, Hugo, this is very good," Hermione told him. His face lit up as he smiled. She brushed away his curling red hair from his face, and stuck the drawing to her wall. "I'll put it right here, okay?" she asked, and he nodded brightly.

"Now, let's see what Rosie's up to, okay?" The two left the office, Hugo's little hand clutching his mother's.

* * *

Hermione opened the door and slipped into the office to find Ron standing by her desk, examining some papers.

"Find anything interesting?" she asked. He jumped and turned around.

"No, I was wondering if you'd seen that report I have to do for Harry," Ron replied. Hermione sighed and picked up a paper from one of the shelves.

"Is this it?" she asked. Ron smiled and took the paper.

"Yeah, thanks," he said, giving her a kiss. He stopped for a moment, his eyes looking at a point over her shoulder.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the drawing that Hugo had given her several days before.

"Oh, Hugo drew that for me," she told him. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't know my hair looked like that," he chuckled, looking at the red scribble above his head.

"I don't know…" Hermione said, then ruffled Ron's hair and looked at him. "Yeah, it does. Sometimes." Ron laughed.

"Well he certainly knows how to draw," he said. "You look very beautiful there."

"Are you saying I don't usually look beautiful? Or is crayon my new style?" Hermione joked. Ron kissed her again.

"You're always beautiful."


	35. Heaven

**A/N: I felt like I had to write this as soon as I read the prompt. Fluffy, I guess. ;P It's short, but I hope you don't really care. Tell me what you think of it.**

**Disclaimer: Technically, you could say this belongs to me, as no names are actually mentioned. :D**

* * *

Heaven

She sits in a large armchair, curled up with a large book. An oak table stands to her left, with a pile of books and parchment on it. Large shelves filled to the top with books tower over her.

She flips the page casually, her eyes soaking up every word before her. The nearby fireplace heats her slightly, but she shivers involuntarily as the door opens before her and a slight breeze wafts in.

A red haired boy has entered the small library, not surprised by what he finds. She does not acknowledge him, but as he sits down at the foot of the armchair one of her feet unravels from her tightly curled body and goes to rest on his shoulder. He scribbles on the parchment lying in front of him, unable to move for fear of disturbing her.

Another page turns and the room is silent except for the crackling of the fire. A moment passes like this, before the book is slammed shut and placed beside the armchair. The boy turns around to face her, and she greets him by pressing her lips to his.

The force of the kiss surprises him, and he leans forward and grabs her head with one hand. As she pulls back for a moment for air, he stands up and picks her up, depositing himself in the armchair, his girl on his lap.

She hugs herself close to him, soaking in the warmth they have generated. She smiles at him softly, everything she loves right there in the room with her. She feels at peace, there in her own little heaven.


	36. Memories

**A/N: Personally, I like this one. I hope you do too. :D **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable. I also probably don't own a few not recognizable things either.**

* * *

Memories

Hermione had charmed the laundry to be as light as a feather, but that didn't make it any less uncomfortable to lug up the stairs. She reached the top of the stairs and entered Rose's room, surprised to find her there. It was a warm summer day, and Ron and Hugo were outside, perfecting some Quidditch move. Hermione was going to just fly the clothes to their respective places, but she tucked her wand away when she saw Rose.

If Rose thought it was strange that her mother was putting clothes away by hand, she didn't say anything. As it was, she was absorbed in some book and was lying on her bed, her feet in the air. It was nearly still but not silent in the room, the warm sounds of summer floating through the window.

Hermione's mind was left to wander, and she began to think of the summer she had at Rose's age. After fourth year, she found herself at Grimmauld Place with the Weasleys and the rest of the Order. As far as she had remembered, she had spent a good part of it cleaning, Harry had been attacked by Dementors and Hedwig had nearly pecked off part of her finger. She sighed softly. Times were so much easier for her children.

"Mum?" Hermione looked up from the robes she was putting away and turned to Rose. The fifteen year old was looking up at her, a question at the tip of her tongue. Her auburn hair frizzed down her back, the tips a clashing white. It was a Transfiguration spell gone wrong, but she refused to change it back to normal. It showed her faults, she said. Hermione wondered if she had ever been like that, but she knew somehow she hadn't.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Rose.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Mum, what was it like when you and Dad fell in love?" If there was question Hermione was expecting, it certainly wasn't this one. She leaned against the dresser with a sigh, choosing her words carefully.

"It's really complicated," she started. Rose was evidently expecting this, and launched another question.

"When did you first know that you were in love with him?" Hermione paused for a minute to think.

"Well… sixth year, I guess. That's when it hit me, mostly."

"But…?" Rose pestered.

"I'd had a crush on him since third," Hermione replied sheepishly. Rose gaped at her.

"Third? That's… a while." She paused for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. "And you never dated anyone in between?" Rose asked sharply. Hermione shook her head.

"Of course I did! There was Viktor Krum in fourth year," she replied. Her mind was suddenly being swamped with memories – after the second task, at the Yule Ball, always with Ron in the corner of the vision.

"You dated Viktor Krum! Mum, I can't believe you've never told me that! He was one of the best seekers in the world!" Rose exclaimed.

"Well… it was complicated," Hermione explained. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Everything seemed to be complicated back then, Mum," she said.

"Anyway, Rose, it never worked. Your dad and I… we're good together." She smiled as she glimpsed Ron fly past the open window. She turned to Rose.

"Anyway, why do you ask? Is there a boy I should know about?" she asked, and Rose groaned.

"Mu-um…"


	37. Honeyduke's Best Chocolate

**A/N: Another chapter for your convenience! It takes place a few months after the war… July, maybe? Now, read, enjoy, and don't forget to review! (I would also like to thank everyone that has reviewed thus far, and please, don't stop!)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned any of these characters, I'd be richer than the Queen of England. Seriously. But I don't, so I'm very much poorer than the Queen of England. Seriously. ;P**

* * *

Honeyduke's Best Chocolate

She was so scared; she didn't know what to do. They had been there for two weeks, already, and gone over half the country, but they still couldn't find her parents.

"Merlin, Australia is big," Ron had said after their fourth day of searching. Hermione had laughed then, but she had to agree. They had gone through the entire north part of the country rather swiftly (Ron had insisted they go from the top down) and were now approaching the city of Newcastle. Hermione had taken to the city quite quickly, and they had taken to camping on an abandoned beach.

It was their second day there, and Hermione was reaching her breaking point. They still had a decent part of the country to go through, though they had recently managed to acquire a directory of all of the dentists in Australia, narrowing their search down to several cities.

Harry had gone to find an Australian branch of the Ministry of Magic while Ron and Hermione stayed in the tent. Hermione had flopped on her bed with a sigh, and before she knew it, she was thinking of her parents with tears coming to her eyes.

She wiped them away in a hurry, but they wouldn't stop coming. Pressing her face into her pillow, she lay for a moment sobbing. She had hoped that Ron wouldn't hear her, but she felt her bed sink as someone sat down on it.

"I was saving this for when we found them, but I think you should have it now," Ron's voice said softly. She raised her head and looked at him with her red eyes. He was holding a slab of chocolate, wrapped in paper proclaiming, _Honeyduke's Best!_ She turned around gingerly and sat up, resting her head against her pillow.

Hermione reached for the chocolate and though Ron gave her a big piece, she only took a small bite. The bite warmed her up and she smiled at Ron, not caring that her eyes were red, her nose was puffy and her face was tearstained. Ron gave her a small kiss on the cheek and she pulled her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.

A figure suddenly came running up to the tent and Harry entered, his green eyes bright and shining.

"I've found them!"

The chocolate lay on the bed, forgotten.


	38. Dragonfly

**A/N: Yes, I know it's been a few days, and I'm sorry. But I had a big test to study for, so… yeah. I'll have another one up tomorrow. ;D This one and the next one are both a bit angsty, I'm warning you. Also, the beginning part of this one, which is italicized, is directly quoted from HPDH, pgs. 552-3 (US edition). Just in case you wanted to know.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable, including the first 120 words. **

* * *

Dragonfly

"_Wait, _wait!_" cried Hermione as Harry pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. "We can't just _go_, we haven't got a plan, we need to—"_

"_We need to get going," said Harry firmly. "Can you imagine what he's going to do once he realizes the ring and the locket are gone? What if he moves the Hogwarts Horcrux, decides it isn't safe enough?"_

"_But how are we going to get it?"_

"_We'll go to Hogsmeade," said Harry, "And try to work something out once we see what the protection around the school's like. Get under the Cloak, Hermione, I want to stick together this time."_

"_But we don't really fit—"_

"_It'll be dark, no one's going to noticed our feet."_

Hermione's mind was racing. She hated going without a plan, but she quickly made a mental checklist of their previous plans. Breaking into the Ministry – not a very well thought out plan, and they were stuck as soon as they got in. Visiting Godric's Hallow – Harry had nearly died. Breaking into Gringotts – they were foiled decently quickly, though they had gotten what they wanted. It was better, she decided, to do what Harry said.

There was a flapping of wings as the dragon rose from the other side of the lake into the air. She watched for a moment as it flew away into the sky, vanishing against the darkness. She gazed across the lake – reeds were sticking out of the muddiness, and she shuddered as she remembered having to swim through that. A lone dragonfly, the last of daylight reflecting off of its wings, flew across her field of vision.

She turned back to the boys and took her place in between the two. She grasped each of their hands tightly. She could feel Ron's sweaty palms against hers, hard with the tension of danger and excitement of their next adventure. She thought wistfully for a minute of what it would be like with him when the war was over – but she banished the thought from her mind. _This is not the time_, she told herself. _Later._

Harry pulled the Cloak over them, trying hard not to have their ankles visible. Hermione caught a flash of light, a last glimpse, reflecting off the dragonfly's wings as she turned with the others and disappeared into crushing darkness.


	39. Thirteen

**A/N: Yes, it's angsty. I'm sorry, but I've had this idea in my head for a while and it just seemed so… perfect. I hope you like it. :D**

**Disclaimer: Heh, I wish my signature was worth lots of money. **

* * *

Thirteen

It was a Saturday, but it was no ordinary Saturday. As Hermione lay on her bed, she took in all of the events that had happened so far that year. And everything else that had happened since her last birthday. So much had changed…

Including herself. She remembered how she had blushed every time he accidentally brushed against her. She wouldn't admit it to herself, she simply wouldn't.

She watched Crookshanks stroll into the dormitory. He was her present that year, and she absolutely adored him. She didn't care what _he_ thought – she simply wouldn't. _It's not like it matters, anyway. He has nothing to do with me but being one of my best friends,_ she told herself.

She let out a deep sigh and buried her head into Crookshanks as he jumped onto her bed. Lavender and Parvati were probably still in the common room, but she didn't care. She had gone to bed a bit early, in order to not be sleepy tomorrow. Tomorrow was a special day, and it had to be perfect.

Of course, it didn't work when she started thinking about _him_. She changed into her bedclothes and grabbed a book off of her nightstand. She drew the curtains around her bed, and Crookshanks curled up on her feet. She tried to read by wand-light, but she ended up just turning the pages blankly, not taking in a single word. With a sigh she put the book away and shifted into a more comfortable position.

Once again, her mind wandered to him. His red hair, his bright blue eyes, his witty comments… him. She blinked a tear out of her eye. _It's not even a crush_, she told herself. _It's nothing._

After a few troubled minutes she finally drifted off into a sleep filled with him. He was everywhere, and she felt like she was floating through it all happily. With him.

When she woke up the next morning, she was no longer thirteen. And she knew that it was a crush that was going to change her life.


	40. Secrets

**A/N: Yes, it's been a few days. I'm sorry. (I have a bit of a life, you know.) So this next one is a songfic. The Song is **_**The Ballad of Ron and Hermione**_**, by ****Riddle TM****. Good band, good song. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable, and the lyrics belong to Riddle TM.**

* * *

Secret

He was sitting in the Common Room when she came in, grinning. He was looking extremely dejected already, and when he saw her his face turned red and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Out with _Vicky_, were you?" he asked scathingly. Hermione's grin dropped a bit, and she turned coldly to him.

"Yes, I was," she said, turning to go toward her dormitory. His voice stopped her from going any further.

"Have a good time?" His statement was dripping with sarcasm, and her face turned pink as she turned back to him.

"What does it matter to you?" she retorted. He glared at her.

"I thought I was your friend, so I was wondering how you felt," he replied. The sarcasm in his voice didn't edge away, and Hermione knew he was simply pestering her. She started shaking with anger.

"You must enjoy fraternizing with the enemy very much," Ron continued offhandedly.

"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione. Her face was getting redder by the moment, and her hair was falling out of its bun. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Harry walking into the Common Room, but she paid him no attention.

"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?" Hermione could feel her eyes burning, but she spit the next words before racing up to her dormitory.

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"

She flopped down on her bed at the top of the stairs, tears streaming down her face.

_How long have I waited for?  
This moment comes and it can't last long enough.  
How I've tried to find the right words to say,  
'Cause you're so much better than Viktor Krum any day.  
_

Parvati and Lavender looked over at her curiously, throwing questioning glances at each other.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Parvati spoke up after a moment. Hermione couldn't reply very well, as her face and sobs were being smothered by her pillow, but the other girls could just faintly make out Hermione shaking her head. Images out what she had dreamt the Yule Ball would be like swam through her head.

_  
So put on your dress robes and take to the dance floor  
Turn up the music and scream for an encore.  
I know you can't dance, but you get ten gold stars for trying._

_Oh, Ron, won't you ask me to the Yule Ball tonight?  
Oh it'll be ok and we'll spend the night talking and holding hands 'til we fall asleep.  
And I know that I'm a Gryffindor, but I just can't find the courage to tell you how I feel,  
How I've felt,  
How I've fallen in love..._

Hermione felt her bed depress a little as the other girls sat down on it.

"Come on, you can tell us," Lavender encouraged. Hermione sat up, her eyes peeking up above her pillow. Tears were still rushing out of them; sobs still escaping her mouth. She leaned back against her bed, staring at the other girls for a moment.

_  
We've had so long that now it can't go wrong  
And you make me smile and help me feel strong.  
You came back home after you heard us call,  
And it turns out you really do care for SPEW after all._

She thought of the argument she and Ron had had in the Common Room, and the other one at the Ball. How he tore at her insides, and how she still felt some butterflies in her stomach every time she looked at him.

_  
So put on your dress robes and take to the dance floor  
Turn up the music and scream for an encore.  
I know you can't dance, but you get ten gold stars for trying._

_Oh, Ron, won't you ask me to the Yule Ball tonight?  
Oh it'll be ok and we'll spend the night talking and holding hands 'til we fall asleep.  
And I know that I'm a Gryffindor, but I just can't find the courage to tell you how I feel,  
How I've felt,  
How I've fallen in love..._

Parvati was now giving her a hug. Hermione was grateful for her dorm mates, no matter that they weren't that close. They were her comfort with things that the boys couldn't understand.

Hermione's sobs began to turn to sniffles and though she was still hugging her pillow, she could control her breathing a bit more steadily.

_So pick up the sword and destroy all the thoughts of Harry and me and let's fight Voldemort, with this power we have of friendship and love the darkness will fall and we'll have a Yule Ball, and I know you can't dance but you get ten gold stars for trying._

_Oh, Ron, won't you ask me to the Yule Ball tonight?  
Oh it'll be ok and we'll spend the night talking and holding hands 'til we fall asleep.  
And I know that I'm a Gryffindor, but I just can't find the courage to tell you how I feel,  
How I've felt,  
How I've fallen in love..._

"Tell us everything," Lavender prompted. Though Hermione usually wouldn't respond to something like this, now she felt like she couldn't hold herself back. There were few secrets held between the girls, no matter that they weren't close.

"Whatever is said in the dorm stays in the dorm," Hermione began. The other girls nodded eagerly.

"Well, it has to do with Ron…"


	41. Candle

**A/N: More angst? I know I've been writing quite a bit lately, but I've been reading too much of it as well and it's affecting me. I'll have a bunch of fluffy ones up soon, I promise! :D Now, thank you for all of your reviews, and don't forget to review this one too.**

**Disclaimer: I own... the closet? Woot! I own a closet!**

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Candle

The Burrow was quiet, Hermione noticed. Too quiet to be normal. As if anything was normal after the war.

She knew that Fleur had persuaded Bill and most of the family to come to Shell Cottage for a peaceful meal, away from all the memories. Most of them had accepted, but Harry and Ginny went off somewhere on their own, and Ron decided to stay behind. He was weak sometimes, and couldn't take being with all of his family all the time.

But right now Hermione had a problem. She had stayed behind with Ron at the Burrow and they had been sitting in the living room for a bit, not really doing much. Hermione had left for a few minutes to go to the bathroom, but when she had returned, Ron was gone.

"Oh, Merlin," she muttered to herself. She had gone through the ground and first floors without prevail, and Ron wasn't in Percy's room either. Hermione hesitated outside the door to Fred and George's room. Memories began to swamp her, but she took a deep breath and pushed the door open silently.

After a glance around the room she turned to go back, but she stiffened when she heard a sniffle. It came from an unnoticed closet in the corner of the room. Hermione walked toward it carefully, trying not to step on anything that wasn't part of the floor (though some things have laid there that long that they may as well have been). She reached the closet and pulled the door open quickly.

It must have had an Undetectable Extension Charm on it, for it's depths went way beyond where it could have. Hermione grabbed a random candle that lay on the wardrobe next to the closet, and lit it with a charm.

She closed the door behind her, gulping as she did so. It was darker than she thought, but as she made a move to open it again, she heard another sniffle. Following the sound, she came across a corner of the closet. Ron was sitting there, tears dripping down his nose, his eyes red.

Hermione sat down next to him, placing the candle in front of them. Ron looked up at her.

"What is this place?" she asked him.

"They used this for their experiments. They had Bill or Dad extend it," he replied carefully. She noticed how he carefully avoided saying the twins' names.

She hugged him tightly. He softened beneath her grip and buried his face into her shoulder for a moment.

"Oh, Hermione," he whispered, "how are we supposed to do this?" He gestured around the closet widely, though she couldn't see anything but Ron's face and an inch of closet illuminated by the candlelight.

"It'll be alright," she whispered back him. She felt her eyes burning up as well, but she pushed the tears back.

"It has to be." Ron smiled at her.

"Thanks, Hermione." He planted a soft kiss on her lips. "For everything."


	42. Wingardium Leviosa

**A/N: I think this is fluffy. ;D I hope you like it. (And thank you to Katherine who put up with my random ideas as I tried to write this.) Also, if you're looking for something to read, why don't you check out my other stories, including my new short songfic, End of an Era, and my longer oneshot that deals with Remus after his death, In the Forest, Again.**

**Disclaimer: I own merely a copy of the series. Not the rights to it.**

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_Wingardium Leviosa_

Hermione sat in front of the fireplace, her hands entwined with Ron's. It was their ritual to curl up in front of the fire with tea and talk about things (and snog a bit) whenever the kids were out.

There was a brief pause in their conversation and Hermione's mind drifted back to the events of that day. Nine year old Rose was more than excited for Hogwarts, and had taken to pestering her parents (and other relatives) about it.

"Mum," she had said that morning," What's the most important spell you learn in first year?" There had been a slight pause, and Hermione exchanged an amused glanced with Ron over the coffee.

"They're all important," Hermione had replied.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Ron had said at the same time. Hermione had raised her eyebrows at him, and then giggled.

"Yeah, Wingardium Leviosa's pretty important," she had told Rose. She remembered how that spell had made her an enemy for a few hours and a couple of friends for life. Rose rolled her eyes at her parent's behavior and excused herself from the table.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, brining her back to reality. Hermione snuggled into his arms more.

"Mmm, yes love?" she replied.

"Thinking about something?"

"Just this morning." She kissed him lightly. He smiled at her, and she began to kiss him repeatedly.

"Hermione?" he asked between kisses.

"Mmm?"

"What about – the kids?"

"They're – at – Ginny's."

This went on for a bit of time until the couple saw blue light outside their window.

"Damn," Ron said. Hermione refused to get up, so he had to maneuver around her to get off the couch. With a familiar swish and flick, he covered her with a nearby blanket. She snuggled into the blanket, feigning sleep.

He opened the door to find Harry there, standing with a sleepy-looking Rose and Hugo. The two children trudged up to their rooms.

"They wore themselves out after dinner," Harry said. "I don't think I've ever seen a more exciting game of Exploding Snap. Oh, and I believe this is yours." He handed Ron a shoe that had been used as a portkey.

"Hey, I've been looking for this!" he exclaimed. Harry went to leave, but turned back to Ron after a moment.

"Tell Hermione I say hi," he said. "Oh, and by the way, your hair's all messed up." With a twist and a wink, Harry Disapparated, leaving Ron standing in the doorway, his face red.


	43. Cryptic

**A/N: Another chpater! :D I hope you like this. Don't forget to R&R!**

**Disclaimer: For the 43****rd**** time, not mine.**

Cryptic

The two women were sitting in the kitchen, sipping cups of tea and discussing random bits of gossip. Rain poured outside, and the women were shivering. Yet it was not of cold that they were shivering of on that November evening, but of fright.

They would take turns glancing out the window every minute, their chatter meaningless. They were comforting each other while at the same time hoping for the first sign of news, first sign that the men would be okay.

"I bloody hate their job sometimes," Ginny suddenly said. "I mean really, leaving for weeks without definite knowledge where they are!" Her eyes threatened to spill tears, but Hermione knew her friend wouldn't cry unless something serious happened.

"It's only been a week," she reminded her.

"But they were supposed to get back yesterday!" the redhead exclaimed. "All I got was a note saying they'd be late, and the kids are at Hogwarts, and I feel so _bloody alone_!" Hermione hugged her.

"I know, I know," she whispered. "But we have to hope for the best." Ginny smiled at her. They sat in silence for a moment before Ginny lifted her head.

"Do you hear that?" she asked. Hermione strained her ears for a moment and heard the shriek of an owl in the distance. She threw open the kitchen window and waited a minute for the owl to fly in.

The two women were soaked by the water that the bird brought in, but they didn't care. Recognizing it as Harry's owl, they shakily took the letter and opened it. The writing was in Ron's handwriting, however, and it was a series of symbols rather than words. Ginny stared at it puzzled, as Hermione read it over carefully.

"What it is?" she asked.

"Code. Just in case the letter gets intercepted…" Hermione looked it over for a moment, puzzled. Ginny latched onto Hermione's arm.

"What does it say?"

"Um… Well this scar means Harry… the pitchfork means attack… flames are fire…" she trailed off for a moment. Ginny's face grew pale. She started to shake Hermione.

"What does it mean!"

"The Aurors are all fine, whoever they were after was killed in the fire…" Hermione trailed off again, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"WHAT?" Ginny nearly screamed. She was shaking hysterically, and Hermione tried to hurry.

"The message is more cryptic than usual… um…" Hermione stuttered. She swore under her breath and spoke again. "Ron's at St. Mungo's, something with a burn…" She gasped slightly, involuntarily alarming Ginny further. "Harry's arm was burned as badly as the time he went against the Horntail, Ron says. Nothing too bad, but they're at St. Mungo's."

Hermione barely had time to grab onto Ginny as the witch turned and Apparated to the hospital. She caught sight of a white room and Harry's bandaged arm before someone hugged her tightly.

"Sorry it took so long," Ron whispered in her ear. "I'm guessing you got my message, then?"


	44. Lemon Drops

**A/N: Okay, so this is much more of a Weasley moment than a Ron/Hermione moment, but it's nice. :D Now, a thank you to all my readers who having been reviewing, and an extra thank you to Katherine for helping me come up with the idea! **

**Disclaimer: .em ot gnoleb ton seod sihT**

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Lemon Drops

The mood was merry around the table at the Burrow. Empty food dishes were piled on the table and in the kitchen sink, and empty Christmas crackers joined the debris on the floor.

Ron, Bill, Harry and Charlie were laughing at some joke George had just told, while the girls were discussing the best way to cook a Christmas pudding with Mrs. Weasley. Percy and Arthur were discussing the upcoming Ministry Ball – "Apparently the Australian Minister of Magic is invited." All in all, it was a fairly normal Christmas dinner.

Ron's foot kicked something beneath the table, and he reached down to pick it up. It was a Christmas cracker that had not yet been broken.

"Anyone up for the other end?" Ron offered around the table. George, sitting on the opposite side of Ron, grabbed the other end. The two pulled at it and it burst open, showering them all with little yellow candies.

The table burst into laughter, and Ron took one of the sweets from where it rested on his plate and popped it into his mouth. He swallowed it after a moment, making a face as if he swallowed a lemon.

"What are these things?" Ron asked. There was a silence as everyone put a candy into their mouth. And then –

"They're lemon drops," Harry and Hermione said in unison. Ron looked at them as if they had just grown another head.

"Lemon drops?"

"Muggle sweets," Harry said. "Dumbledore loved them." There was a pause after a moment, and then George took one off the back of his hand and stuck it in his mouth.

"Good enough for me," he said.


	45. Thief

**A/N: Another one, at your service! I hope you like this one. It's not too fluffy, but don't worry, the one after this one is! On another note, with this one I am 3/5 the way done with the challenge. A little sad, isn't it?**

**Disclaimer: Never mine, Never thine, Wishfully ours.**

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Thief

Hermione was setting the plate down on the kitchen table when the door swung open. Noise from the small party they were having was let in, and Ron strode in levitating a pile of dishes. He gave her a kiss on the cheek before depositing the dishes in the sink.

Noticing the steaming plate of treacle tarts standing on the table, he grabbed one while Hermione's back was turned. This, however, did not stop her from noticing.

"Put the treacle tart down," she said, while pulling out a plate of cookies from where they were being stored. Ron swallowed the piece that was in his mouth and was about to retort when the door swung open again and Harry came in with a large amount of wineglasses floating above his head.

"Careful with those!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling her wand out. Harry set them down carefully near the sink. Hermione sighed and put her wand down on the tabletop near her, returning to getting the different desserts out.

Harry spied the treacle tart on the table, and too took a piece. Hermione had noticed this, and sighed heavily.

"Put the treacle tart down until everyone can have a piece," she said. Harry shrugged and looked at her.

"Need help with anything?" he asked, brushing off her previous statement. Hermione was about to say something when she spied Ron munching on a cookie. She looked around for her wand, but ended up grabbing a frying pan instead.

"Thieves!" she yelled, brandishing the frying pan, "thieves in the kitchen!" Harry and Ron began to back away slowly when the door opened a third time and Ginny's head appeared.

"Need help with anything?" she asked, giggling as she saw the scene in the kitchen. Hermione sighed, putting the frying pan back into the sink.

"Yeah, Ginny, can you take those desserts? I don't trust _some people_ with them," Hermione replied, pointedly glaring at Harry and Ron. Ginny giggled and grabbed a plate of cookies as the rest of them rejoined the party.


	46. Soap

**A/N: I've been quite busy with school, so there haven't been **_**too**_** many updates. I assure you, there will be more. This one is fluffy, me thinks, and I hope you like it! :D**

**Disclaimer: Owneth me not anyeth recognizable notion.**

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Soap

Hermione was sitting in the kitchen supervising the knives chopping up salad when Crookshanks came in, a trail of dirt behind him. He seemed to have been lazing around in the mud left over from the previous day's rain. Hermione sighed when she saw the dirt, and _Scourgify_ed the trail. She bent down to pick him up, and saw that he was too covered in dirt.

"Oh, what I am going to do about you, cat?" she said to him. His nose twitched in response, and he stared at her. She set him down in front of her, and _Scourgify_ed him. At least, she tried to. No matter how many times she cast the spell, Crookshanks seem to dodge it.

"Okay, okay," she finally sighed. Crookshanks seemed to smile at her words, but Hermione wasn't finished. Instead, she turned around to the sink and started to fill it up with water. She turned back to her cat.

"We'll do it the Muggle way, then," she finished. Crookshanks merely stared blankly at her for a moment, losing his chance to run. She grabbed him and placed him in the lukewarm water, causing him to hiss furiously. He twisted in her grip, but didn't seem to get anywhere.

Hermione muttered a charm and sent soap spilling out of her wand and onto Crookshanks' fur. Within minutes, his body was covered in white, foamy soap. Hermione began to rinse him off and was nearly done when Ron came in through the back door.

She turned to say something to him, but accidently moved her wand with her. It was still spraying water, and within seconds Ron was soaking wet.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed as Ron blinked water out of his eyes. Crookshanks took this moment to jump out of the sink, finally clean. Ron looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

"What were you doing?" he asked.

"Giving Crookshanks a bath," she admitted. Her outfit was too soaked, as Crookshanks had put up quite a fight.

Ron made a move to clean up the water in the kitchen, but instead he turned on Hermione, spraying her with water.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, not expecting the attack. Ron grinned. She began to walk toward him slowly, her own wand raised. Ron looked at her curiously, but before he knew what had happened Hermione's wand slashed through the air and he found that her lips were pressed against his.

They were also dry, as was the kitchen, he noticed vaguely. But instead of dwelling on that he grabbed Hermione and returned the kiss passionately. They broke apart after a moment, and she looked at him with a funny glint in her eye.

"Now," she whispered softly in his ear, "I don't know if you happen to know of anyone else who may need a bath?"


	47. Iridescent

**A/N: Okay, update galore is going to start soon. Prepare for battle! ;P Hope you like this one, I figured one of what this is was in store somewhere.**

**Disclaimer: If I were JKR, I wouldn't be stressing about school. I wouldn't even be in school, for that matter.**

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Iridescent

It seemed like a dream he used to have, only so much more _real_. The sky was bluer, the sea air was saltier, and the sun was brighter. And she was ten times more beautiful than any dream he'd ever had, he believed.

Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and started to walk down the beach with her. He smiled at her while they chatted casually, nonsense that flitted into one ear and out the other. His other hand was in his pocket, the fingers turning the velvet box over and over again.

Ron said something and she laughed, and _oh_ how her face lit up when she did so! Her cheeks flushed pink, her head was thrown back slightly, and her face shined when she smiled.

He murmured a sweet nothing in her ear, and she smiled once more, kissing him softly. He found it hard to imagine that just mere days ago they had been fighting Voldemort, camping out in Merlin-knows-where. He had convinced her to give Harry the slip, just for a bit, and she had agreed. She had paid no attention to Harry, nothing more than any of his family had done (not counting Ginny, of course).

The sun had begun to set, Hermione suddenly pointed out to him. They moved toward the sun, the ocean lapping at their bare toes. The sky was a blast of red, orange and dark blue, and she was looking at it like it was the most precious thing in the world.

Ron took a deep breath. It was now or never, he knew. He hand was still holding hers, and he kissed it softly before pulling out the box in his pocket. He bent down on one knee, barely registering the shock on her face.

"Will you marry me?" The ring inside the box glistened iridescently in the sunset for a still moment, while Hermione gaped at the scene before her.

Ron didn't know what he had expected exactly, but it certainly wasn't her hand reaching out and slapping it against his face, hard. There was no pain as he was too numb from shock of what had happened. Hermione's face was glistening with tears, and her body shook as different emotions overtook her.

"I can't believe you!" she yelled. "I know we've had a few good days, but I still remember how you _left _me in the forest by myself! I can't – I can't – I can't believe you," she sobbed. "How dare you think that I'd change my mind so quickly! To think I'd fall in love with you after _all that_! I guess you never did grow up, Ronald."

Ron noticed that his face too, was glistening with tears, and he chucked the box as hard as he could towards the water. Not caring what she thought of him, he kneeled on the ground, his head between his legs, tears dripping off the edge of his nose.

The scene around him spun as the world turned to night. He was no longer kneeling, he realized. He sat up, glanced around, and fell down back into the bed with a sigh.

He didn't know how relieved he was to see the bedroom in Shell Cottage again, to know what he had experienced was just a horrible dream. Wiping the tears off his face with the back of his hand, he shifted around in his bed.

Tomorrow, he vowed, he would try and find them.


	48. Hummingbird

**A/N: Another fic for your enjoyment. Half-fluffy, I say. ;D Takes place during Easter break the year after the end of DH, but before the Epilouge. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Recognizable things, I do not own.**

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Hummingbird

"Ron. Ron. Ron? Ron. Rooooooooooooooooooon. Ron," Ginny repeated incessantly. The former was slumped at the kitchen table, not moving.

"Will you shut it?" George said angrily from the other side of the room. He was scribbling furiously on a notepad, randomly conjuring and vanishing different bubbles. Ginny glared at him, but started to poke Ron instead. He slumped over slightly, his head between his hands.

Bill looked up from where he was talking to a very pregnant looking Fleur.

"What happened to him, anyway?" he asked. Ron mumbled something incoherently. Ginny shrieked.

"He lives!" A small giggle passed around the room. She turned to Ron, moving her ear close to his mouth.

"So what happened?" she asked. He mumbled something again, this time for a little longer. Ginny nodded along and looked up at the rest of her family when he was finished.

"So…?" George asked.

"Well, as far as I could tell, he was having lunch with Hermione yesterday when Harry walks up to them, says hi, whispers something in her ear, and then they leave together," Ginny replied.

"What? She just left?" Bill asked angrily. Ron shook his head slightly, making a random hand motion to imply that she had said goodbye to him, kissed him on the cheek, didn't tell him anything, and left. Or at least, that's what his siblings thought he meant.

Ginny's eyes widened, and she turned away from Ron. She hurried out of the room without a word, and they heard her Disapparate outside. George looked at Bill.

"What's going on?" he demanded, but Bill just shook his head wordlessly, confused.

They sat there for several minutes in silence, trying to stop Ron from sulking. Bill tried to hit him with different spells, but Ron just blocked them all without a second glance. George had started to conjure different birds. Each one vanished into thin air with an uncaring wave of Ron's wand, and George had conjured a hummingbird when there was a large crack outside and Hermione and Ginny could be heard arguing.

"Well, I'm sorry—"

"Hermione! He thought you left him for Harry or something!" Ron looked up at these words, ignoring the hummingbird that twittered around his face. The two girls strode in, their faces pink. Hermione walked over to Ron and sat down next to him. He glared at her sullenly, and she sighed.

"You weren't supposed to find out for a few more days, but come on," she said, holding her hand out to him. He stared at it, not moving.

"Come on," she repeated. "I'm not leaving you for Harry. We were just… planning something." Ron looked at her again, but took her hand reluctantly, allowing her to take him outside and Apparate them away.

"What waz zat?" Fleur asked from where she sat next to Bill.

"Surprise belated birthday gift," Ginny said. "Takes too long to explain."

* * *

Ron blinked as he saw the partially decorated room before him. A banner hung from one corner, proclaiming, "Happy Birthday, Ron!" There was paper everywhere, and Hermione glanced at Ron as he looked around the room, bewildered.

"It was supposed to be for you, since we couldn't really have a big party while I was at school…" Hermione said, trailing off as Ron kissed her. He pulled back after a moment, and smiled softly.

"Sorry," he said. Hermione glanced at him, her eyebrows raised.

"Forgiven," she replied, pulling him back into a kiss.


	49. Opal

**A/N: No updates? I know, it's a problem. But it was called Finals. Ew, finals. But they're over, and I'm going to be writing much! Now, I hope you like this one, though it be angsty. Enjoy. :D**

**Disclaimer: If I handwrote an 800 word story, it wouldn't be worth 50,000 dollars. It wouldn't even be worth a penny.**

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Opal

There was a small pond that could be found between the trees. It was deep in the forest, but not deep enough so that the house couldn't be seen. Countless times she had seen him sitting out there, thinking.

Usually, she left him alone, knowing that he didn't like to be bothered. But today something seemed to call out to her, and she left her house quietly, going into the woods. She walked for a few minutes before she found him, resting against a tree, his bare feet just touching the pond. The moonlit sky reflected into the water, making it an odd, bluish, opal-like color.

His shoulders were shaking slightly, and tears dripped down his face. She sat down next to him, taking his hand. He didn't look at her and she didn't pressure him, so they sat there for a few minutes in silence. Her mind had begun to wander, and stared at the faint ripples the May breeze made against the water of the pond.

"Seven years," he said suddenly, his quiet words cutting into the nighttime silence. His voice was hoarse, and as she glanced at him she saw that he was too staring at the opal-colored water. He took a deep breath, and spoke again.

"Seven years, Hermione. My brother gone – and I don't think I can remem—" his voice broke, and he choked back a sob. "I can't remember what he sounds like, or his favorite food. When I try, I see George. And I can't – I can't remember exactly _why_ he isn't George."

Hermione said nothing, merely shifting closer to him and gently curling her arm around his shoulder. He kicked his foot slightly, angry waves rippling through the pond. The look on his face turned angry, and Hermione quickly sent a _Muffliato _and silencing charms zooming around the clearing, unnoticed by Ron. He began to scream, a wildly sound she'd only heard a few times before, similar to the scream she had barely heard over the sounds of her own, screams at Harry's supposed death.

The roar carried throughout the forest, and though no one would be able to hear it, several birds flew away, startled. It died after a minute, but Ron began to sob. Hermione hugged him to her, and he placed his head on her shoulder, soaking it with his tears. After a minute, the sobs turned to sniffles, and Ron looked up at her.

"Thanks," he said. She smiled, and led him over to the pond, gently splashing some water on his face. He smiled as her hands smoothed over his face, one of them gently lingering for a moment on his cheek. He took her hands with his and they gently stood up, walking in the nighttime silence back to their house.


	50. Breathe

**A/N: Two in one day, yay! This is fluffy. D I think it's good one to commemorate that I'm 2/3 done with this challenge. Slightly sad, but ah well, there's still 25 chapters to come! Hope you like this one too! And don't forget to review. :D**

**Disclaimer: No belong to me, this.**

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Breathe

Hermione walked into the Burrow, a smile on her face. The sun was decently high up in the sky, and it was a pleasantly warm day. Ron was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cold cereal. Mrs. Weasley was too sitting at the kitchen table, writing furiously. She smiled when Hermione walked in.

"Hermione!" she said lovingly, as if it had been a year, not half a day, since she had seen her last. Hermione paused to give Mrs. Weasley a hug, then slid into the chair next to Ron.

"Good morning," she said merrily. "How'd you get George to give you the day off?" Ron swallowed, turning to her and giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"He said something about getting Angelina to help him…" Ron said. He stood up, putting his bowl in the sink. He held his hand out to Hermione, pulling her out of the chair.

"Ready?" he said, and she nodded.

"Oh, where are you going?" Mrs. Weasley asked innocently. Hermione laughed slightly.

"Oh, I honestly have no idea," she replied. Ron winked at her, and the couple stepped outside and Apparated away.

They arrived on a small beach, with several people lounging off in the distance.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked.

"Ireland," Ron replied, on his arm a picnic basket he had taken when no one was looking. They flopped down on the sand, Ron setting out food on a blanket he had had in the basket.

"Didn't you just eat?" Hermione asked playfully. Ron grinned, but didn't answer her. Instead, he offered her a slice of watermelon, which she accepted.

"So how was your summer?" he asked. She laughed again, and punched him playfully on the arm.

"You picked me up from the train yesterday!"

"But I haven't seen you all night," he replied, still grinning.

"Well, my parents did take me out to a nice restaurant to celebrate my graduation," Hermione said, taking a bite of a potato chip. "We talked a bit. It's funny, because my seventh year was probably my most boring one. It hadn't been really what I thought it would be like, but what would seventh year be without you and Harry?" Ron's face flushed slightly pink, and he kissed her on the nose.

"Nothing, I imagine," he said. He scooted closer to her, and started to tickle her. She began to laugh loudly, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Stop – Ron," she gasped. "I – can't – breathe!" He lay down next to her, laying his arm on her waist. She turned to him and kissed him on the nose.

"Mmm, let's do this everyday," she said, kissing him again as they lay in the sand.


	51. Palace

**A/N: More stories! I went camping this past weekend, and I was inspired. Hope you like it. ;D**

**Disclaimer: I don't live in a palace. Or however big JKR's house is.**

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Palace

Hermione looked around the field as she handed off the portkey to the Ministry wizard. There was a sea of tents, all covered in orange and black. Hermione followed her family, who seemed to know where they were going. After a few minutes of walking and exchanging greetings with familiar faces, they arrived at a clearing that had a neat label in the middle that proclaimed, "Weasley-Potter."

Hugo and Rose ran off to join some of their cousins, leaving their parents standing at an empty space. Harry, upon noticing them, ran over to greet his friends.

"Hey, mate, thanks for the tickets," Ron said. Harry grinned, glancing away sheepishly. Harry and Ginny, through their connections, had gotten tickets for anyone in the family who wanted them to the Quidditch World Cup. As the Chudley Cannons had gotten to the finals by some miraculous bit of luck and a new unbeatable Seeker/Keeper duo, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys, couldn't refuse.

Harry turned to say something, but Ginny called to him from inside their tent. Nodding to his friends, Harry ran off. Ron turned to unpack their tent, pulling it out of his knapsack. Hermione looked at it curiously.

"What happened to that old tent of ours?" she asked, looking pointedly at Ron. Ron shrugged, involuntarily glancing across the clearing. There, George was attempting to set up their old tent, though to no prevail. Hermione rolled her eyes, muttered a spell under her breath, and suddenly George's tent was upright. He glanced around the clearing suspiciously, but on seeing Ron and Hermione he gave them a grin and a wave.

Hermione turned to her new tent, setting it upright as well. She walked inside, gasping. The tent was huge, with four separate bedrooms and a huge living area.

"The palace tent?" she said, reading the label next to the door. She turned to Ron, her arms crossed.

"Raffled off in the office, back in December. It was supposed to be a surprise… so, surprise?" Ron said. Hermione looked around the tent carefully. She turned back to her husband, but her expression had softened.

"Well…" she began, and then gasped. In the corner of the tent was a large Jacuzzi. Hermione glanced between it and Ron, biting her tongue. Ron put his arm around her, grinning.

"I told you you had to come," he whispered in her ear.


	52. Lakeside

**A/N: This one takes place towards the end of HPB, like mid-May or something. I hope you like it! Oh, and I think it's time again for me to thank all of my **_**wonderful **_**reviewers for reviewing! Don't stop what you're doing!**

**Disclaimer: (Insert clever statement of saying "I don't own Harry Potter" here.)**

* * *

Lakeside

The morning was quiet, as was the girl sitting by the lake, leaning against the beech tree. She was watching the morning as mist hovered above the dew-ridden ground, thinking that she was alone.

In truth, she wasn't alone. As silent as the day was, a boy was walking through the grass making next to no noise. The mist settled in his red hair, and he brushed off droplets of dew with a shake of his head. He sat down next to the girl, startling her.

"Toast?" he asked casually. She looked at him, then took a piece of the offering.

"What are you doing up so early?" she asked. He sighed, staring out at the sunrise rising above the lake.

"Couldn't sleep," he replied. "You?" She took a bite of her toast before she replied.

"Same… it's a good place to think." They sat for a moment in silence.

"I can't wait until this stupid war is over," he said, breaking the stillness of the morning. There was a faint chirp of a bird somewhere, and a faraway rustle of the Whomping Willow's branches.

His bushy-haired counterpart nodded slowly.

"Things will change, then, hopefully," she replied, her voice a bit strange. If he had looked at her, he would have noticed that she was trying very hard not to look at him. As it was, they both were staring at the reflection of the sunrise in the lake.

She rested her hand down in the grass, her fingers accidentally brushing his. They both looked up as if shocked, their faces flushing a slight pink. Their eyes met for a moment, before looking away. The girl looked towards the castle, and stood up.

"We – we should go back," she said quickly. He nodded, and stood up with her, the two hurrying back into the castle.


	53. Parchment

**A/N: It's short, but cute (I think)! It's from Ron's POV for a change. I thought we were seeing a bit much of Hermione. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: If I were JKR, I wouldn't be writing at school. I wouldn't even **_**go**_** to school.**

* * *

Parchment

He smiled as he watched her lay out the piece of parchment carefully in front of her, smoothing it out. Her potions textbook was in front of her, opened to the page they needed to write an essay on.

Glancing at the clock, he jumped up. Motioning to his friend, the two boys turned to leave.

"Quidditch practice," Harry told Hermione offhandedly before leaving. She nodded vaguely, taking a deep breath of the fresh parchment before starting to scribble her essay.

After an hour of practice and another fifteen minutes of scrubbing mud off of himself, Ron found himself back at the library. Leaning against a nearby bookshelf, he watched as Hermione continued to scribble onto the parchment, though the tiny writing was now nearing three feet and the rest of it was black, and partially shiny, from the ink.

She soon scribbled the last sentence on her essay, and started to dry it with air coming out of her wand. He chose this moment to plop down in the seat next to her, running his hand through his red hair.

She glanced up at him, her eyebrows raised. Their eyes met for a moment, and he grinned. She smiled back at him, rolling her eyes.

"What?" she said, pausing momentarily. "I _know_ it's due next week." He laughed.

"I know you know. This is what you do, you bookworm," he said. She giggled, and then turned to him.

"Common room?" He nodded, following her.

"Yeah," he said, then silently added, _My Bookworm._


	54. Quill

**A/N: Yes, I know I'm on a short one-shot streak, but I think that they wouldn't work well long. I hope you like it! ;D**

**Disclaimer: O-nay E-may Own-ay His-tay. (Pig Latin.)**

* * *

Quill

One moment he was flying through the air, diving for the animagus; the next there was a tree falling down onto him and the fox's fur was slipping through his fingertips. He started to black out, but not before he heard a triumphant yell – Harry's, he thought. There was a rush of footsteps in his direction before he could feel no more.

His world was suddenly really bright, he realized. He groaned and blinked, stretching his arms. He went to sit up, but realized he couldn't move his right leg properly. Before he could do any more, there was a shriek and a pair of arms hugged him tight.

"Ron!" Hermione shrieked. Ron looked at his surroundings, a bit surprised to find himself in St. Mungo's. Behind Hermione were Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, discussing something rapidly, while Harry slept in a chair beside them.

"What happened? Did they catch him?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, they got him. And a tree fell on your leg…" she whispered in his ear, as Mrs. Weasley got up.

"Ronald! Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

"Mum…" Ron groaned.

"I've always said that being an Auror was dangerous, but do you boys listen...?" Mrs. Weasley sighed. Ginny stifled a giggle while she woke Harry up. Ron looked down the end of his bed, grimacing when he saw his leg. It was bent, a bit unnaturally, in several directions.

Ron gasped. Some painkilling potion must have worn off, for his leg began to throb in pain. It felt like it was being attacked by a quill – or rather several hundred quills. And not the feather part of a quill, either.

He turned to Harry, his face twisted in pain.

"Exactly how big was this tree that fell on me, again?"


	55. Portrait

**A/N: This one may be a bit weird. I tried a style I used back in… 26, Exclusive. Tell me what you think – was it good or should I never write like this again? Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ron and Hermione… sigh. **

* * *

Portrait

There was a row of pictures on the mantle above the fireplace that Ron and Hermione treasured greatly, though they would never admit it to each other. If someone were to come in and simply look at the photos, they would think that they were simply lots of nice family portraits. In reality, they held a greater meaning to the couple.

The first was a simple portrait of the family itself – the parents standing in the background, the owl on Hermione's shoulder; the kids standing in the foreground, Rose cuddling the family cat that they had gotten after Crookshanks had passed away. Hermione always thought it was a sweet and quaint family portrait, if a photo could be such a thing.

The next was a Muggle photograph – one of Hermione with her parents from a few years ago. It was nothing special, but a simple reminder of the family's ties to the Muggle world, which Hermione thought was very important.

The next family portrait was much, _much,_ larger. It was taken at the last Weasley family reunion, so it had all of the immediate family – the six Weasley families and Molly and Arthur. Each person was holding their own pet, if they had one, and some people held photos. It was a tradition that had started a year after the war, to celebrate all that they had lost and that they had gained. Hermione's owl was perched on her shoulder, and she held a photo of Crookshanks. Molly and George's photos were more sentimental – George held one of his grinning twin, and Molly held one of her long-lost brothers. Ron always thought that this one was great because it showed all of them – what they gained and what they lost. Though it was so huge because of all of the different Weasley (and Potter) children that had been born through the years.

The next photo was something they had to have – a simple photo of Harry, Ron and Hermione, standing in front of the Hogwarts lake the day after the battle had ended. They all looked a bit worse for the wear, but their smiles were pure. Harry looked as if the biggest weight in the world had been lifted off of him (which it had…) and the three of them were laughing in the photo like there was no tomorrow.

The last photo was one of Ron and Hermione, taken on their first official date. Both of them treasured this photo a bit more than the others, though neither would admit it. It wasn't taken by anyone they knew – rather by a Daily Prophet reporter who had snuck up on them in a Muggle park right after a kiss. Ron's arms were wrapped around Hermione's waist, as they were smiling brightly. Their cheeks were flushed slightly pink, and they looked like nothing in the world could spoil this moment. The photo had appeared in the gossip section the next day, and they loved the photo so much they framed it instead. _After_ an angry visit to the Prophet.

The portraits on the mantel represented the couple, their family and everything they loved best. Though Hermione had always said that a photo could never be the real thing.


	56. Clock

**A/N: Okay, okay, yeah… this one isn't long either. But it's fluffy! :D Oh, and I'm not sure if they celebrate Mother's Day in the UK, but just play along here.**

**Disclaimer: I have never received any large and special awards, unlike JKR.**

* * *

Clock

Hermione woke up that morning feeling just a bit different than usual. She went and checked on her four month-old baby, Rose, grateful that she didn't wake up in the middle of the night. Ron seemed to be downstairs, cooking something that smelled a lot like an omelet. Smiling happily, she drifted downstairs.

Ron was laying the omelet on plates when Hermione entered the kitchen. Ron smiled when she walked in, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she sauntered next to him.

"Morning, love," he said. "Happy Mother's Day." Before Hermione could say a word, he clasped something around her neck. Looking in the reflection of the window over the sink, she could see it was a necklace – a simple chain with two hearts melting into each other as a pendant.

Hermione gasped, and kissed him back.

"You didn't have to…" she said, but he shushed her.

"It's your first. It's special," he replied. Hermione gave him a hug, and sat down to eat. Looking around the kitchen, she noticed something else that seemed out of place: an old clock, sort of like a grandfather clock.

"Ron…" she began, but then trailed off as she looked at the clock more closely. Ron grinned. It was a replica of his mother's clock, only the names on the hands of this clock were the ones in his own family – Ron, Hermione and Rose.

"Do you like it?" he asked. "I thought you might want one." Hermione smiled back, and kissed him again.

"Yep," she said, "it's perfect."


	57. Eyes

**A/N: I'm pretty sure that this is one of the shortest ever – the first shortest being **_**Fire**_**. I promise they'll get longer. But I felt that if I made this longer, it'd be very drawn out. Now, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Red Snake Eyes… creepy. Not something I'd be able to come up with, unlike JKR.**

* * *

Eyes

The red eyes were taunting him, whispering curses that only he could hear. He slashed the sword through the air, but it kept missing the locket and hitting a tree. Again and again the locket just escaped his grasp. The tree was hit again and again until…

"Ron!" Hermione said, shaking him awake. It wasn't often he had nightmares, and they didn't usually involve him… attacking her. Ron's clear blue eyes opened, and he was panting slightly. Hermione's brown eyes found his, and she looked at him in concern. Ron sat up.

"Nothing… it was nothing…" he said. She looked at him sternly, crossing her arms. He withered under her gaze.

"It was V-Voldemort's eyes. In the locket. And he was saying the things again…" Hermione hugged Ron to him, as if he was her five year old son and not her husband.

"It's okay," she whispered in his ear. He had told her about the locket long ago, and it frightened Hermione a bit. But now she had to be strong for Ron. "It's all long gone now."

His clear blue eyes found her brown ones and he smiled. She kissed him softly on the nose and nestled down next to him.

"Now get some sleep," she said, yawning. "Don't you forget, it's Harry's birthday tomorrow, and we're helping Ginny."

"Isn't it in two days?"

"It's three in the morning. Tomorrow," she repeated. "Now, goodnight." And she closed her brown eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	58. China

**A/N: Woo! It's a longer one. There'll be much more a-coming, as I finished school today and I'll have more time to write now. Now, read and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: If I were JKR, I wouldn't be excited for summer vacation. There'd be **_**no**_** summer vacation.**

* * *

China

"_Where _were you yesterday?" Hermione hissed. She had cornered her husband in the living room as soon as she had a moment to do so. Ron looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Didn't you get my patronus…?" he asked. Hermione glared at him. "I'll take that as a no. I did send you a patronus, I swear!" Hermione crossed her arms. (Ron's patronus had, in fact, actually cornered a drunk Muggle girl that looked quite a bit like Hermione. He was busy, and didn't notice. The Muggle girl promptly fainted when she saw the talking silver dog, and when she woke up she swore off drinking.)

"I only knew you were working late because I ended up Flooing Ginny about it. Harry told her," Hermione replied angrily. "Unlike _someone_ I know." Ron held up his hands.

"I sent one! Ask Harry!" Ron protested.

"Then why didn't I see it?" she asked.

"I… dunno. Er—" Hermione turned her back to him, sitting down on the couch. Ron sat down next to her and put his hands on her shoulders, but she shook them off.

"Hermione," he said gently. "Trust me." Hermione sniffled, and as she turned around slowly he could see her eyes were welling up with tears.

"I was worried, Ron. What if something happened to you?" she said.

"It's not Volde—"

"I know Voldemort's not around any more! But that doesn't mean there isn't any danger around! You're still an Auror!" she said, her voice rising slightly. Ron tried to put his arms around her again, but she shrugged them off.

"Don't touch me," she said flatly. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but before he could do so there was a large crash in the kitchen.

Ron jumped up and ran to the kitchen, Hermione a second behind him. She had already dried off her face, making it seem like nothing more than a case of the sniffles.

Rose stood on a chair in the kitchen, the broken platter on the floor around her. Broken cookies and china spotted the floor, and Rose looked guiltily at her parents.

"Sorry…" she said, trailing off. Her parents sighed, and as Hermione pulled out her wand to clean up the mess, Ron went and lifted Rose off the chair. Nestling her in his arms, he looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I wanted a cookie," she said. She hugged her arms around his neck and he looked over her to Hermione. Hermione glanced away when their gaze met, and Ron carried Rose to the living room.

"Go off and find your brother, and then go outside," he told her. She nodded, glad to escape punishment. Ron turned around to find Hermione standing right behind him.

She nodded softly, not saying anything. But Ron knew everything was better as he felt their arms brush softly as she passed him.


	59. Silent

**A/N: Okay, this one is really angsty. Like, really really angsty. I had another idea, but it didn't work when I wrote it. Also, I was listening to the song, The Walk (myspace .com/expectomusic****) and that had a great effect on this story. But please, enjoy! And there'll be happier ones to come.**

**Disclaimer: I am simply borrowing these characters for a little while. **

* * *

Silent

The silence echoed in his ears for a split second, but it felt like forever. The crowd around him was pulsing forward, but he remained frozen, Hermione and Ginny each grasping his hands.

He suddenly knew exactly why his mother's boggart was what it was. The pain was ripping through him like a tidal wave, and he knew it would be the same if it had been either of the girls on his side that lay there, not Harry. He remembered the similarity of the pain when it happened to Fred, and when he saw Tonks, Remus, and the others in the Great Hall.

He felt deaf to the world, mute and unable to say anything, only his eyes taking in the scene. He gripped Hermione's hand tighter. What if she had died during this battle? What if any of them had? He didn't know what he would do.

He never realized until that moment how likely it was that they would die, and at that moment he truly vowed to fight to his death.

He couldn't look at Harry's body, but rather stared into the eyes he'd seen once before in the locket – the eyes of Voldemort. Suddenly, his voice came back to him and echoed in his ears.

"_I have seen your heart, and it is mine."_

Harry's determined face swam before his, telling him to stab the locket, that he and Hermione would never be.

"…_but all that you dread is also possible.…"_

The silence rang in his ears for a split second, before he gripped his love's hand tightly and screamed.

"No!"


	60. Quidditch

**A/N: Hope you like it! I'm sad, as I'm 4/5 of the way done with this challenge. But anyways, enjoy and don't forget to review! And a special thanks to all of you who have reviewed already. ;D**

**Disclaimer: I cannot be JKR, as I never would have had the brilliance to think of a sport like Quidditch. **

* * *

Quidditch

Hermione sat in the Quidditch stands, watching the tryouts. Harry was having some trouble with the people trying out, and she shifted in her seat as the Beater trials ended and the Keeper ones began.

She kept one eye on Ron as she watched a third year saved his first goal, though it was the fifth one thrown at him. She started to watch the next one, a second year girl, when she heard profuse giggling behind her. Turning around, she noticed Lavender and Parvati sitting a few rows behind her. Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned back around.

She noticed that Ron was turning a visible green color, while Harry tried to get the next person up.

"Why are boys so into Quidditch?" she said to herself. As the next boy flew up in front of her, she noticed it was the bigheaded McLaggen. He was worse than the rest of them, she decided. Unfortunately, he wasn't that bad at Keeping.

She watched as he saved his first four goals with ease. Ron was turning greener with each one, and Hermione rolled her eyes. If McLaggen were Keeper, she'd never see the end of it.

"_Confundo_," she muttered, pointing her wand at him. Sure enough, he shot off in the opposite direction, leaving the ball to soar through the hoop. Ron was slightly green still, but she hoped he would be better. (Though at the moment he looked like he was about to faint, which would not do anyone good.)

As he mounted she wished him good luck silently. Unfortunately, someone else had the same idea.

"Good Luck!" Lavender shouted from behind her, and then hid her face in her hands. Hermione rolled her eyes, noticing that Ron brightened slightly when he heard this.

"Oh, blast it all," she muttered under her breath. The things she did for that boy.


	61. Light

**A/N: Two in one day! ;D This one is very fluffy, hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I can't be JKR. I posted two in one day, while it took her years to write. (Granted, she was writing a lot more… but you get the point.)**

* * *

Light

It was one of those rare mornings when Ron woke up before Hermione did. He sat up and stretched, taking a moment to realize he was the first one awake. He considered getting out of bed, but then covered himself with his blankets more.

He noticed there was a crack in the curtains, and a beam of sunlight was streaming through it. It landed on Hermione's face, illuminating her lips, her nose and a bit of her hair. They seemed to shine under the light, and Ron felt a glow of love as he watched her sleep. Carefully reaching for his wand, he charmed the curtains open slowly, careful not to wake Hermione.

The sunlight was now streaming on her entire face, and Ron swore she was like an angel. Her face shined radiantly, and Ron tried to suppress the urge to kiss her. He gave in after a moment, and pecked her lightly on the lips.

She murmured and softly opened her eyes, surprised to see Ron's face hovering inches away from hers. Too sleepy to register what was going on, she simply lifted a hand and blocked the sunlight from her eyes.

She turned toward Ron and looked at him, blinking the sleepiness out of her eyes.

"Mmm, good morning sleepyhead," Ron said softly. Hermione giggled, snuggling closer to him.

"I was having such a nice dream," she muttered into his chest. He stroked her hair, which was still partially in the warmth of the light.

"What about?"

"You… me… Harry… beech tree after the war…" she said, her voice muffled. She tried to sit up, and knocked her head on the headboard.

"Ow!" she said, reaching up to rub the bruise. Ron took her hand, kissing her head and then her hand.

"All better?"

"Yep," she smiled up at him. He kissed her again, this time on the lips. She stretched.

"I've got to get up."

"Do you?"

"Mmm… no." And so she snuggled into his chest, laying one arm over it. "I'll sleep some more."


	62. Key

**A/N: This one may be a bit confusing with the format, because I took some risks. If it's in **_**italics**_**, then it's 3****rd**** person. (Unless it's centered. Anything centered and in italics are lyrics.) When it's normal text, it's Ron's POV.  
It's a song fic to a song I'm become slightly obsessed with recently, Sonorus Love by Ministry of Magic. I hope you like it! ;D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter-ish, which belongs to JKR, or the lyrics, which belong to Ministry of Magic.**

* * *

Key

_Ron pulled Hermione into the garden of the Burrow, escaping the frenzied people. They ran from the house, the darkness enveloping them. They laughed and tumbled softly onto the grass in front of a tree overlooking the makeshift Quidditch pitch that the Weasleys had._

_The cool night air spurs our embrace  
Now I feel lost in time and space  
The moonlight shines over the trees  
In the Weasley yard, just you and me tonight  
_

I pulled Hermione closer to me, her soft hair falling over her shoulders. We laughed in the night, glad to be free of the engagement party Mum had insisted to be thrown for Harry and Ginny.

_  
She whispers, "I love you"  
"There is no other"  
I whisper but stutter  
She smiles and draws me closer  
_

Hermione curled around me, pressing her lips to my nose. They were as soft as rose petals, and I traced my hand around her face softly. She smiled up at me, probably a bit light-headed from the mixture of wine and butterbeer she had had.

"I love you," she whispered. I kissed her softly, lingering for a moment.

"I love you too," I replied.

_  
I'm in love  
I'm in love  
I'm in love with a girl named Hermione G  
I'm in love  
She loves me  
I'm in love with a girl named Hermione G_

She snuggled her head into my chest, as she often liked to do when she was looking for a more comfortable position. I once overheard her telling Ginny that she did this because of the eternal warmth she felt, both from body heat and her heart. (I never did completely understand that, but I learned long ago not to question her.)

I pulled her arms around her tightly, making sure she wouldn't be cold on this night.

_  
We don't need Ashwinder eggs  
Cause our love will never fade  
When all the world is fast asleep  
It's you and I just falling deep tonight  
_

The party was ending, I could tell, but I made no move to go back. The moonlight streamed down onto the Quidditch pitch, illuminating the grass to look nearly white. It was slightly shiny with raindrops from a sun shower from the afternoon, and reminded me of the diamond ring in my pocket.

_  
She whispers, "I love you"  
"There is no other"  
I whisper but stutter  
She kisses me  
_

She looked up at me, her eyes half-closed. I hoped she wouldn't fall asleep on me, though it was quite comfortable and warm. I kiss her cheeks softly, and her eyes widened a bit.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" she said softly before returning the kiss. I nodded, then realized she probably couldn't see me.

"Yeah, it is."

_  
I'm in love  
I'm in love  
I'm in love with a girl named Hermione G  
I'm in love  
We were meant to be  
I'm in love with a girl named Hermione G  
_

The small ring had been in my pocket for days, now, I had been choosing the right moment to slip it on her finger. Though I didn't want to move from the comfortable position, I tried to shift away without her noticing anything suspicious.

Harry had always talked about how he was a bit nervous when he asked Ginny, but I felt a sudden calm come over me. No matter that it was probably one of the most important parts of my life.

_  
And she sets me free  
I'm in love with a girl named Hermione  
Hermione Granger_

When all the world is fast asleep  
It's you and I just falling deep

I turned toward her sitting form, her silhouette outlined in moonlight. The night air was crisp and sweet smelling, and a slight breeze passed through the trees as I got on one knee, pulling out the box.

She gasped slightly, her eyes opening wide as she realized what was happening.

"Hermione," I began, "You know that I love you. And I want to be able to love you forever. I want to give you the key to my heart, and I hope that by accepting it I can have the key to yours." I paused, partially for effect and partially to get a steady breath. Taking the box out of my pocket, I opened up the diamond ring up to show her. "Will you marry me?"

She squealed and hugged me, her eyes welling up with tears of joy.

"Yes, Ron, I will!"

__

Hermione Weasley

* * *

_The newly engaged couple walked back to the house, where the sounds of a party ending could be heard. Harry and Ginny were sitting a corner, talking softly, while Mrs. Weasley ran around frantically cleaning up._

"_Where were you?" she snapped at Ron as he and Hermione walked in the back door. She began to say something, but then stopped with her mouth opened as she spied the ring on Hermione's hand. She sat down abruptly on the couch behind her, blinking as she tried to figure out what was going on._

_Ron looked over to Harry and grinned before whisking Hermione away to the more private kitchen._


	63. Silver

**A/N: More updates! Now, if you've reviewed in the last two days, and didn't get a reply, it's because that there's something wrong with something and I have not been getting **_**any**_** notifications from period. Has anyone else been having this problem? But enjoy anyway, and don't forget to review! (I'll try and reply **_**somehow…**_**)**

**Disclaimer: I'm not JKR. JKR would not post on a simple fanfiction site, she'd publish it and donate the money to charity! My writing wouldn't raise any money for charity.**

* * *

Silver

A shriek from upstairs made Ron look up from his breakfast and race to his bedroom. He found his wife standing in front of the mirror, her bushy hair hanging in front of her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked breathlessly, leaning in the doorway. Hermione turned toward him, distraught.

"Look at this!" she exclaimed, holding something out to him. It was so small that he couldn't see it, but it seemed to be attached to her head.

"What is it?"

"It's – a gray hair! Oh, I'm getting old!" she cried. Ron walked over to her and hugged her.

"You're not getting old," he whispered in her ear. She looked at him.

"Yes, I am! Rose is already in her sixth year, and my hair is turning gray!" Hermione fretted. Ron sat down with her on their bed, holding her softly.

"You're not old, darling. You're just 44," he said.

"Ron, you said it! I'm _44_," she replied, stressing her age.

"You're just stressed from work. Mum got an occasional gray hair since the twins were born – but you see how she is. Her hair didn't turn silver until she was long past sixty, dear, and yours isn't going to either," Ron replied.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, turning back to Ron.

"Of course," he said, running his hands over her hair. He kissed her softly, and then looked at her.

"Besides, do old people do that?" he asked. Hermione giggled softly, and shrugged her shoulders. He kissed her repeatedly, making her giggle profusely.

"Or that…?"


	64. Bouillabaisse

**A/N: More chapters! The problem with the alerts seems to be fixing itself, so I'm getting all of your reviews in. If I haven't replied to it yet, thank you for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable, including many quotes, which can be found on pgs. 252-3, GoF, US edition, Hardcover.**

* * *

Bouillabaisse

Hermione picked at her meal, watching the new students out of the corner of her eye. She followed Ron's gaze to Viktor Krum, the look in Ron's eye much like the one she had seen at the Quidditch World Cup.

Her gaze switched to Hagrid, who was talking to Harry regarding the blasted Blast-Ended Skrewts. As Ron started to make a comment, Hermione noticed one of the Beauxbaton girls getting up from the Ravenclaw table and heading toward where they were sitting. She stopped right behind the two boys, looking down at the table.

"Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" she asked. Ron's mouth dropped open and his face began to turn slightly purple as he stared at the girl. Harry blinked slowly, and then pushed the seafood dish toward her.

"Yeah, have it," he said. Though he was not gaping at her like Ron was, his gaze was lingering on her slightly more than usual.

"You 'ave finished wiz it?" she asked. Ron, seeming to find his voice, gazed at her.

"Yeah. Yeah, it was excellent." Hermione rolled her eyes, and her gaze met the girl's for a moment. Then the girl picked up the dish and walked away, a bit haughtily.

Ron stared after her, and Hermione noticed that many other boys around the Great Hall were doing the same. Harry began to laugh at Ron's expression, the latter who turned back around to face his friends.

"She's a _veela_!" he said, his voice hoarse. Hermione looked from him to the girl, who did have some veela-like qualities. However, if Ron knew this, who knows what he would do.

"Of course she isn't! I don't see anyone else gaping at her like that!" Hermione lied, trying to get Ron's attention back to safer waters.

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" Ron pressed. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!" Hermione opened her mouth to snap back, but Harry spoke before her.

"They make them okay at Hogwarts," he said glibly. His gaze was flickering to Cho Chang every other second, and Hermione rolled her eyes. Those boys would _never_ learn.


	65. Journal

**A/N: Enjoy the reading! And thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! ;D**

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize I do not own. Capeesh?**

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Journal

Hermione was digging through a worn-out box in the kitchen when Ron got home. He glanced between Hermione, the box, and the pile of things Hermione was making on the kitchen table.

"What's that?" he asked. Hermione looked up.

"Oh, my parents sent over some of my old stuff they found. They wanted to know if there was anything I wanted to keep before they sent it off to storage," she replied.

Ron strode over to the pile, leaning on the table and picking through random objects. There was an old doll of some sort, picture books of various kinds and –

"Love, what's this?" he asked, picking up a small, flower-covered book. Hermione blushed and took it from his grasp.

"A journal I had, once. I've only ever written in it two or three times, not a big fan of journals," she said.

"Well, what does it say?" Hermione sighed, and opened it to the first page.

"_Dear Diary_," she began. "_Mummy is making me write in this because I got it at Marie's big birthday party, and it's nice to use what people give us. I don't even _know_ Marie. My parents say that she's Ralph and Jeanette's daughter, but she's so much older than me! She turned thirteen yesterday, and she had a _huge_ party. She had a big cake, and a small zoo, and fortune tellers!_" Ron snorted. Hermione broke off from where she was reading to smack him on the arm.

"I was _nine_," she said. "Forgive me that some things were interesting to me." Ron held up his hands.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he replied. Hermione looked back at the journal.

"_There were three different fortune tellers. They were kinda weird. (I asked all three of them about 'my future' 'cause Mummy and Daddy were off talking to some grown-ups and I was bored.) One of them said that I was going to die when I was a teenager. Not something every little girl wants to hear. The next one told me I'd live a long life, but the next 10 years of my life would be so _unique _that she couldn't even understand it. And the last one said that I would too live a long life, and that I should be aware of the large amount of red-haired people that would enter my life. A bit weird, don't you think?_"

Hermione broke off from where she was reading to exchange an amused look with Ron.

"Well, they weren't all wrong," Ron said. Hermione laughed.


	66. Blanket

**A/N: I just found out that my deadline has been shortened, so this week you'll be getting **_**lots**_** of updates. Here's one right now! Enjoy. :D  
Also, I posted up a new story yesterday about Fleur. It's called "Springtime for Fleur." If you have a moment, why don't you check it out?**

**Disclaimer: Own this I do not, for I am not richer than the Queen of England. O.o**

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Blanket

"Cold…" Hermione muttered, shifting her position on the couch. "So cold…" Ron hugged her, but she pushed him away. He put a hand on her forehead.

"Love, you're burning up!" he said, worried. Hermione never got sick, not in their six years at Hogwarts, their one year camping, and now the three years they had been together. But now she was showing signs of having some sort of bug.

Ron scooped her up and started to carry her to bed. She shivered against him, though she was sweating. Ron laid her down on their bed, and she grasped for a blanket.

"Cold…" she muttered again. He covered her with her blanket, but she still insisted she was cold. He summoned extra blankets from their closet, laying them on her until she no longer protested that she was cold. He left for a moment to get her a cup of tea, but when he came back she was fast asleep.

He watched her for a little while, but although her sleep was restless she didn't wake up. After a while, when Ron's head was beginning to droop, he took one blanket for himself and made himself a place on the couch. No matter if she was sick, he didn't want to catch whatever bug she had.

He woke up just as the sunlight entered the living room, yawning as he lay on the couch for a moment.

"Ron…" he heard a weak voice calling him. He jumped up, and rushed to the bedroom. Hermione was sitting up in bed, all the blankets but two on the floor around her. The fever she had was over, though she was still weak.

She smiled slightly as he entered, his red hair disheveled.

"Feeling better, love?" he asked. She nodded, and pulled the blankets over her slightly.

"I think I'll stay in bed a bit longer," she replied weakly. "But can you bring me a cup of tea?" He nodded and turned around, but her voice stopped him. "And… a book, please?"

"Sure," he said, grinning. At least he knew that she was starting to feel _much_ better.


	67. Run Away

**A/N: Yes, I know I updated quickly. But I have mentioned I'm on a deadline! (I feel a bit like a reporter right now.) I hope you like this scene anyway. And don't forget to review.**

**Disclaimer: I am seriously running out of disclaimer ideas. But I think you get the point – I don't own this.**

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Run Away

"I don't know if I can do this," Harry muttered, pacing back and forth. Ron watched him, his dress robes flying out behind him in the wind he was creating.

"Harry, mate," Ron said, "calm down." Harry looked at him.

"Calm down? How do I calm down?" Harry asked. "Oh _Merlin_, I'm getting married." Ron sighed.

"Yeah, but you're acting like you're about to go against five Voldemorts at once," Ron replied. _Not even,_ he added silently. _Whenever he went up against Voldemort he was strangely calm. _"You're just getting married to Ginny."

A rap on the door behind him distracted Ron for a moment, and it opened it a crack to find Hermione standing there in her bridesmaid dress. She looked very beautiful, but the look on her face was one of urgency.

"How's he holding up?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Ginny's okay, just a bit jittery." Suddenly, there was a loud _crack_ from behind Ron, and when he looked back Harry was gone.

The color drained from Ron's face.

"We've lost the groom," Ron said. He swore under his breath and turned back to Hermione. "Now what?"

Molly appeared right behind Hermione.

"Did you just say we've lost the groom?" she asked accusingly. Ron nodded, and Molly pursed her lips.

"Do you know where he might have gone?" she asked. Ron shook his head at the same time Hermione nodded.

"What?" Ron asked Hermione. "Where?"

"The graveyard," she whispered. She turned to Ron. "You go and help Ginny, I'll get Harry back here."

"Are you sure?"

Hermione nodded, then kissed Ron on the cheek before Disapparating.

She arrived at the graveyard, and it didn't take long to find Harry sitting in front of his parents' graves.

"Harry?" she asked softly, approaching him. He looked up at her, his eyes slightly wet.

"Sorry I ran out," he said. He smiled slightly. "But I'd be more worried about someone running away at your wedding then mine." She knew he was talking about Ron. He sighed, and then turned to look at the graves one last time.

"I'll be back," he whispered softly to them, and Hermione blushed, not sure if it was meant for her ears. He stood up and held him arm out to Hermione, and together they Apparated back into the chaos.


	68. Peace

**A/N: Remember in 59 I mentioned a song, The Walk? Well it inspired this one too. Hope you like it – and don't forget to review! And a special thanks to all of you who have been doing so so far.**

**Disclaimer: I own a copy of the series, not the idea behind the series. I love borrowing, though, as you can plainly see.**

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Peace

Hermione was so furious that she was beyond furious – her face was red, her hair wild, and there were tears leaking out of her eyes. She glared at Ron, unable to do anything. He took a step toward her, but she took a step back.

"NO!" she shrieked. She fell into Ginny's arms, sobbing. Harry stood between the two, unsure of what to do. Hermione sobbed until the room was a blur, and she could no longer see Ron – and _her_.

"Hermione, listen," Ron said, moving away from Lavender. "It was nothing! She attacked me, I swear." He pointed his hands at Lavender, trying to prove that it wasn't his fault.

"Hermione—"

"Don't you _Hermione_ me, Ron," she said between sobs. "I don't know what to do with you anymore."

"Hermione, he's right," Lavender said softly. "I'm sorry…. Ron had nothing to do with it. It's all me." Hermione's sobs began to diminish, and she stepped out of Ginny's grasp. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead, with a twist and a _crack_, she disappeared from the room.

Ron looked crestfallen. Harry shrugged, and then made a motion with his hands. Ron nodded, and then too disappeared.

Lavender made a motion to do the same, but Ginny caught her eye.

"Oh, no," she said sternly. "You stay here. We're going to have a nice _talk_ about ex-boyfriends. Specifically, my brother."

* * *

Ron appeared in front of a large brick building. Sighing, he strode in. He walked between different people and shelves of books, until he reached a secluded corner. There, with a book in her hands, sat Hermione, where he knew she would be. The book in her hands was opened, but he knew she wouldn't be reading it.

"Hermione?"

The brunette raised her head with a glare, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Why?" she choked out. He shrugged, then sat down and leaned against a bookshelf.

"I don't know why. It wasn't me – she just kissed me for no reason. I didn't feel anything, don't know if I _ever_ did, but before I could say anything you came in." He stopped, his arms shaking slightly with tension. "I'm sorry."

Hermione looked at him, her gaze stern. "Sorry?"

He nodded, bouncing his head.

"Sorry, sorry for everything and anything – I didn't believe it myself, what she was doing, and if you had waited a second longer I would have gotten to her first," Ron replied shakily.

Hermione stood up, drying her tears away on the back of her sleeve.

"Truce," she said softly. "For now. We'll talk about this later." She handed him something, and started to turn around. She caught his eye, but her expression remained stern. "I'm going to have a _talk_ with _someone_ about off-limits ex-boyfriends." The look in her eye reminded him of Ginny as she disappeared once more.

Ron looked down at the thing she had handed to him. It was a simple white handkerchief, and he smiled as he rubbed it between his fingers. A white handkerchief, a white flag. A symbol of truce – of peace.


	69. Age

**A/N: Short, but I think it's cute. Tell me what you think! ;D**

**Disclaimer: Fine. You know what? I own it! I own it all! :D -****drinks ****Veritaserum-**** Actually, about that…**

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Age

It was the day of Rose's wedding, the Hermione was rushing around, fretting over different details. She felt a bit like Mrs. Weasley at her childrens' weddings, though Hermione had more help than Mrs. Weasley did.

She sat down for a minute in a chair. She looked around at the people rushing about and figured that they didn't need her for a moment. She slipped between them and found herself in front of a door. Slipping into the room, she smiled at Rose. Rose was beautiful, with her red hair cascading down her shoulders and onto her white dress.

She just stayed for a moment, to offer encouragement. If she stayed any longer she would start getting teary, and that would be no help.

When she slipped out of the room, she found someone waiting outside.

"Hermione?" she heard Ron ask. She turned and gave him a kiss on the cheek. There was no one else in the hall, and Hermione let her smiling exterior slip.

"I feel so _old_," she muttered, rubbing a hand on her forehead.

"I know, love," he replied. "Our only daughter is getting married – married! It seems like just yesterday…" Hermione thwacked him on the arm.

"Don't go into the whole 'It seems like just yesterday' thing. It makes me feel older," she said, running a hand over her carefully smoothed hair, where one or two gray hairs could be seen.

"Don't worry love, you'll always be twenty in my eyes," he whispered in her ear.

"Mmm, the older, the wiser," she said, smiling softly. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the commotion.

"Come on, old man, we still have to finish setting everything up." She grinned and he grinned back at her.

"Hey, I'm not that old!"


	70. Salvation

**A/N: More exciting stories! Though I'm scared and sad now. We only have five remaining, and I hope that you enjoy them all very, very much.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, nor Ron or Ginny. Frankly, I don't own anything that you may recognize as JKR's work.**

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Salvation

She sits in the armchair in their small private library, her eyes devouring the pages. Ron is away, on a mission, and he's overstayed for a few days now. Ginny was around most of the time, but she had gone to her mother's for that afternoon, leaving Hermione alone.

She won't let herself fret, and instead starts to read. She reads for fun, not for knowledge – the different worlds in books were her salvation, her escape, from the world she lived in.

This time, she holds in her hands an old book – worn with years of reading it. The story is simple, childish, and she first read it at the age of eight. She's lost in the world of Missouri in the 1800s, in the world of _Tom Sawyer_. She doesn't quite know what it is about the book that she loves, but she giggles at the different parts anyway.

There is a knock on the door, but she doesn't notice it. The door creaks open, and a figure walks in. Yet she is too enthralled in the book to notice. The book is her salvation, until her Ron gets back.

Suddenly, a pair of hands clamp over her eyes and she shrieks, startled, as the pages disappear before her eyes. She is unsure of, for a moment, to be scared or amused, before settling on amused. She'd know those hands anywhere.

Though the hands are still clutching her eyes, she turns around and gives the person a kiss.

"I've missed you," she mutters. The hands release her, and she looks into piercing blue eyes.

"I've missed you too, love," Ron replies, and grins. "How's the book?"


	71. Sarcasm

**A/N: Another update for today! They've just been coming. Hope you like this one… tell me if it feels a bit rushed. I didn't feel as if I got the flow exactly right.**

**Disclaimer: ****Je ne possède pas ceci****. (Meaning, "I don't own this" in French.)**

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Sarcasm

"Are you going out tonight, Rose?" Hermione asked her teenage daughter. The summer air streamed into the kitchen while the family was eating dinner. Rose picked at her food, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, you know, the usual, Mum," she replied, her voice thick with sarcasm. "Go out to a club, find some boy to snog senseless, that sort of thing." Ron choked on his meal.

"What?" he asked. Rose rolled her eyes.

"I was _kidding_, Dad," she said. "Just going over to Jack's, he says he's got something cool to show me."

"As long as Neville or Hannah are there, its fine then," he replied. Hermione put a hand on her husband's arm.

"I think Rose is old enough for us not to worry about her. _Right_, Rose?" she said, looking at Rose. Rose nodded eagerly.

"And you, Huges?" Hermione asked her son. Hugo looked up, his mind wandering before.

"Oh, just to uncle Harry's. Lily wanted to work on that weird Herbology project we've got to do – the one with the whole picking plants by moonlight thing," he replied.

The conversation steered to other topics, and before long the family had finished dinner and Rose and Hugo Flooed away to their respective locations.

"What now?" Ron whispered in Hermione's ear. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, I think I've got some work to do," she said, a bit sarcastically.

"Are you sure?"

"No," she replied, kissing him. "Do you have something else in mind?" Ron grinned, a glint in his eye.

"As a matter of fact…"


	72. Reflection

**Disclaimer: -sings- I don't own thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis…**

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Reflection

The various children splashed around in the lake on the outing. Mrs. Weasley was setting out a rather large picnic, while Fleur kept one eye on Teddy, Victoire and Dominique. Harry and Ginny had taken a stroll down the lakeside, while Hermione sat with Ron on a dock a little while off.

Hermione's feet swung over the edge of the dock, her toes trailing the water. Ron sat next to her and they were talking casually about random things. There was a silence in their conversation, but not an awkward one.

Ron gazed across the lake to the other side, where he could see Harry and Ginny's forms in the reflection. He glanced away, giving the couple privacy, and instead started looking at his own reflection in the water. He leaned farther and farther out until he nearly hovered above the water. He felt a small push on his back, and unable to keep his balance, belly-flopped into the water and off the dock.

He looked up at the dock, his hair dripping water into his eyes. Brushing it out of his way, he saw Hermione laughing at him. She, too, was leaning over the edge of the dock, watching him splash around in the water. It wasn't that deep, but Ron only managed to get his head above the water.

Reaching up and suddenly grabbing Hermione's hands, he pulled her off the dock on into the water with him. She shrieked loudly, splashing water in his face.

"Oh, so that's the way it's going to be?" he asked, grinning. He let go of her and she flailed around slightly, unable to stand. She then latched onto his back and kissed him on the cheek.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said innocently. Ron began to swim out in the water, Hermione still attached to him. She giggled, enjoying the swim.

"Oy, you two!" Ginny yelled from where she now sat by the picnic. "If you don't get over here there won't be any food left!" She turned to Harry, and paused before biting into an apple. "Though I think they'd either get all of the food soaking wet or Ron'll eat it all."


	73. Blowing Bubbles

**Disclaimer: ****ERROR****: THIS AUTHOR HAS BEEN CLEARED AND HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AS **_**NOT**_** BEING J.K. ROWLING.**

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Blowing Bubbles

Hermione was washing the mop of hair on Hugo's head, and it was nearly white with shampoo. Hugo was getting restless, and Hermione blew him a bubble to keep him entertained. The bubble soared to Hugo, floating in front of his face before popping on his nose. He giggled, trying to look at his mother to get her to make more.

Hermione smiled at her two-year-old, and conjured several color-changing bubbles to keep him entertained. He followed them with his finger while Hermione began to rinse his hair out, until he was clean. The bubbles were still floating around the bathroom, and as Hugo poked one, it popped.

Ron stood leaning in the doorway, watching the scene. As Hermione dried Hugo off, she noticed him.

"Where's Rose?" she asked.

"Taking a nap," he replied. Hermione nodded and picked Hugo, carrying him into his room and setting him down to play with some blocks. Ron followed her, and after she set Hugo down, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

She raised her eyebrows.

"What?" Ron asked. She didn't say anything, but continued to look at him with an amused look on her face. "What?" he repeated. She shook her head.

"Never mind," she said. Ron groaned, and looked at her.

"_What?_" he asked again. She smiled.

"Never mind, I told you," she replied. Giggling, she noticed a stray bubble floating behind his head. He turned around to see what she was giggling at, popping the bubble with his nose. This time, Hugo joined in with his mother's giggling.


	74. Sharing

**A/N: The Penultimate.**

**Disclaimer: For the penultimate time, not mine. **

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Sharing

Hermione sat in the Common Room, finishing up the last of her Potions essay. Harry sat across the table from her, trying to transfigure a cushion into a dog. Ron sat next to Hermione, finishing up his Charms essay with a scribble.

"Hey, Hermione?" he asked. She turned to look at him, drying her Potions essay. She raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if I could see your Potions essay?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Do your own, Ron. I'm not having you copy off mine," she replied. Ron held up his hands.

"I'm not saying I want to copy. I was just wondering if you could… _share_ your ideas with me," Ron said. Harry snorted in amusement. Ron glared at him. Hermione glanced between the two of them, a look of amusement on her face.

"Why don't you share your answers with him, Harry?" she asked. Harry gabbed his wand at the cushion before looking up at her.

"Er – what?" he said. "Oh, er, it's in the dorm…" He turned to Ron. "You want it?" Ron shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. I think I've got a part of it down, but I was just wondering if anyone," he glanced pointedly at Hermione, "wanted to help by sharing some information with me." Hermione sighed, and handed it over to him, rolling her eyes.

"Fine, have it," she said. He grinned at her.

"Thanks," he said, pulling out a fresh piece of parchment. Hermione stood up to leave, and turned to Harry.

"It's more a circular motion than a jab," she told him. He nodded, and waved his wand in a circular motion toward the cushion. A large frisky dog appeared, and started to bark at an unsuspecting Neville, who jumped out of his chair, startled. Ron turned to Harry.

"Oy, can you shut the dog up? I'm _trying _to write my Potions essay," he said, sending Harry into peals of laughter. Hermione turned toward her friends from where she stood by the stairs, and turned the dog back into a cushion with a flick of her wand.


	75. Cheating

**A/N: I won't deny it. This chapter was very hard, and very sad for me. (Not counting the fact that the song that influenced this chapter a bit is "Open at the Close" by Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls.) I've had it planned since nearly the beginning, and I hope it's a good ending. And as always – enjoy it.  
What's for the future? I'm not quite sure. I've got ideas bouncing around in my head – either a Marauder or NextGen fic. And a multi-chapter one this time. It won't appear before the end of the summer, though, as I'm leaving for various things.  
Now, a special thanks. Thank you to my reviewers – those who have reviewed every chapter especially. It warmed my heart every time I saw the review-announcing emails. I'm thankful you've stuck with me for so long.  
Curious to know how it's been? It's been amazing. This story has had over 50000 hits, over 850 reviews, 46 favs and 56 alerts (right now!). It's improved my writing skills and helped me discover Ron and Hermione in ways I don't think I've seen before.  
So, a final Thank You for sticking with me for this long, and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I've said it once, I've said it twice, I'll say it for the seventy-fifth time – Anything that you may recognize does not belong to me, but rather the amazing J.K. Rowling.**

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Cheating

Hermione lay in her bed, staring at the pale scarlet walls of the bedroom in which she'd fallen asleep countless times. Though she'd had many, many, visitors over the last two weeks, there were only three people in her room right now, besides her.

Hermione's gray hair splayed across the pillow, and she smiled at Ginny as she stood up. Ginny excused herself from the room and left, leaving Hermione alone with the people who had been with her since the beginning – Ron and Harry. Each one held one of her hands, and she smiled at them.

"Are you sure, love?" Ron asked for the millionth time. "The Healers said they could do something – you'd have another year, at least." Hermione closed her eyes, her smile fading a bit. Her voice was a bit weak and shaky when she spoke, but it seemed to fill up the room.

"I – I can't. It'll be like cheating the natural order of things," she said. She paused for a moment, her eyes still closed. "I'm _old_, you guys. I've got great-grandchildren! Voldemort seems like a bad dream that's done with – it was more than _sixty_ years ago." Ron sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"But how will _I_ survive without you?" he whispered to himself, only Harry hearing him.

Hermione pulled them closer to herself. She grasped each one with an arm, and, leaning heavily on them, lifted herself up into a sitting position. She ran one hand through Ron's nearly white hair, while the other traced Harry's fading scar.

"What would life be without you guys?" she whispered, partially to herself and partially to the two men next to her. "I'd still be that first-year in the bathroom with the troll." Her eyes burned with tears, and one ran down her cheek before Ron carefully wiped it away.

She smiled at them. Her frail hands shook slightly, but her voice was firm.

"Thank you." The words held so much meaning in them, and they didn't have to ask her what it was for.

"My pleasure," replied her surrogate brother. Harry hugged Hermione. "I'd be dead without you, Hermione. I still remember," he said to her, his green eyes meeting her brown ones. Years at Hogwarts echoed between the two, including that one fated camping trip.

Ron then hugged her.

"I'll miss you," he whispered in her ear.

"I won't be gone for long. We'll see each other again before long," she replied. "Stay out of trouble, you hear?" Harry chuckled.

"You know us, Hermione. Trouble finds us," he said. She sounded like the old teenage Hermione again, though she hadn't been like that for years. Harry had lost Sirius, Dumbledore, his parents… but somehow that was different than losing Hermione. It was like she said, that they would see each other again soon.

Ron held her frail hand, one finger resting on her wedding band. They had been through so much together – school, marriage, two kids, grandchildren, _great_-grandchildren – he didn't quite know how he'd live without her.

Something was misting behind Hermione's brown eyes, and she grasped the hands firmer than she had before.

"Tell them I love them," she said, referring to the people that sat in her living room downstairs – her Rose, her Hugo, and their families. Ron grasped her hand, trying not to believe what was coming. "Tell Ginny I love her. And – and take care of yourselves," she said firmly, though her voice was fading. She met their gaze for one last moment, brown eyes meeting green and blue.

"I love you."

With a final breath, she closed her eyes, and fell asleep for the last time. Ron and Harry sat there for a moment, silently holding her still-warm hands as tears rolled down their cheeks.


End file.
